The Hard Road
by wthtonibelle
Summary: Being a pro hero requires focus and unyielding commitment, especially if you're aiming to be Number 1. An early marriage should be out of the question, but Katsuki is stubborn and selfish. He wants the best of both worlds, so he chooses the hard road to the top. [This is nothing like you've ever seen before for this ship so do give it a try!] [COMPLETE]
1. Chapter 0: Losers Who Give Up

This story is about Katsuki and Ochaco boldly reaching for their dreams despite the challenges brought about by their choice to marry young.

Don't be discouraged by the pace of Chapter 0; the rest of the fic isn't like this. This is just a prologue meant a pretext to how such an early marriage comes about. The succeeding chapters follow the couple through the years.

Read and review! :)

* * *

26/12/2017: Chapter edited to make it more consistent in style with later chapters. Added a few things, but nothing too drastic.

* * *

 **Chapter 0: Losers Who Give Up**

By the time they're 20, two years into what the reality of post-graduation life has turned into a rocky relationship, Katsuki and Ochaco begin to think about breaking up.

Career as a pro hero is no light matter. There are just too many things to think about and too little time for romance. Their patience for each other wears thin as their stress levels at work go up, and after yet another shouting match ensues between them about something that shouldn't even have been cause for a fight at all, they finally call it quits.

Katsuki heatedly yells at Ochaco that he's fucking tired of her shit, which prompts her to spitefully retort that they better just end things if that's how he feels. He strides out of her tiny apartment and slams the door without another word. She doesn't let herself cry until even the echoes of his angry footsteps have disappeared.

* * *

Although situated in the Shibuya ward in Tokyo far from the ocean, the agency Ochaco works for is called in by the Chiba police when an artificially induced tsunami devastates a town in the eastern coast of the prefecture. The SOS doesn't come as a surprise; after all, their agency is one of the best in the entire country in the field of civilian rescue.

Uravity is among the heroes sent on the mission to retrieve civilians that have been swept away into the Pacific. It should be simple given the number of their team members with Quirks that do well in water, the rookie Froppy among them, but the villain gang that had caused the tsunami proves difficult to subdue.

Their team is hard-pressed to accomplish the rescue in the midst of a battle, while the ocean is turbulent from attacks of villains and heroes alike. Needless to say, the operation gets messy, and by the time the villains are captured and all civilians have been secured, the pro heroes count multiple injured among their numbers, and Uravity is missing in action.

Uravity had last been seen attempting to levitate a boat full of rescued civilians to safety as the water became unnavigable. The boat had made it to shore, but Uravity was nowhere to be found after that. It's assumed that she had lost consciousness from the effort, fell into the water, and got washed away by the strong current.

A search party is assembled from the heroes on site, and after two futile hours, the team leader decides to call in Ochaco's parents. Tsuyu requests that Katsuki be informed as well.

He receives the call just as he finishes changing out of his hero costume after patrol duty. He almost lets it go to voice mail, disinclined as he is to entertain unknown numbers, but a part of him secretly hopes it's Ochaco and he changes his mind.

They haven't spoken in a month. He's too stubborn to initiate contact and too proud to even admit to himself that he misses her, but whenever his phone rings, his heart pounds wildly in his chest, and he has to suppress his disappointment whenever the caller turns out to be someone else.

He's already chastising himself for his wishful thinking as he slides a finger against his phone screen to take the call. He doesn't expect it to be a representative from Ochaco's agency informing him that she's currently missing in the ocean.

Katsuki arrives at the makeshift outpost in the coastal town half an hour later looking ashen, Kirishima in tow. He stomps straight to the team leader and demands to be included in the search party, but his request is flatly declined. He has little training in rescue, his Quirk is not strong in water, and his emotional state is feared to prevent him from making rational decisions.

He's made to wait in a an adjacent tent, where Ochaco's parents join him almost three hours later. They had made their way immediately after having been informed of the situation, but they live so far away it still took them several hours to travel even by bullet train.

Kirishima sits with them in the tent, keeping an eye on Katsuki, ready to leap into action should he show any sign of going rogue. But he's unexpectedly quiet and compliant.

At the eighth hour from the start of the search, six hours since Katsuki had arrived, he and Ochaco's parents are called into the outpost. The team leader greets them with a solemn face. He regretfully informs them that there has still been no sign of Uravity.

The search will continue for as long as it takes, but it's his duty to let them know that the likelihood of finding her alive is diminishing by the minute. He bows to them deeply. He's truly sorry. Uravity was a fine hero. This incident is regrettable. He speaks as though he has decided that she's gone.

Katsuki loses his fragile mask of composure. The emotions he had fought to keep under the surface explode all at once, and he has a shaking fist clenched around the collar of the team leader before anyone can blink.

Immediately, Kirishima tackles Katsuki to the ground, pinning his arms behind his back. Katsuki thrashes wildly, but Kirishima has activated his Quirk to protect himself from explosions. A litany of insults rain down on Kirishima, but he doesn't waver.

In the background, Ochaco's mother has begun to sob against her husband.

Katsuki continues to writhe on the floor, yelling at Kirishima to get the fuck off him. Let him up! Let him talk to that team leader, he's got something to say! He's fucking useless! They're all fucking useless! Ochaco deserves better than this. She deserves better than fucking losers who would give up on her.

Kirishima feels his stomach jolt when he sees the tears falling freely down Katsuki's face.

* * *

It's a little past the twelfth hour of the search operation when Uravity is finally found on a beach several miles from where she had been last seen. She's injured and dehydrated, but alive, and they load her into a chopper bound for the nearest hospital.

It turns out that after falling into the water, Ochaco had managed to lift herself onto a chunk of floating debris, which then got swept away by the raging current. She had hung on to it with the last of her strength until she washed ashore, nauseated and disoriented.

Fearing a villain ambush in her vulnerable state, she had dragged herself to a rock outcrop and used her Quirk to collapse it safely around herself for cover. She fell unconscious while extremely well-hidden, and the search party could not find her until she came to hours later and managed to alert the choppers overhead to her presence.

The hospital is lively with activity for many hours after Ochaco's rescue. The media has picked up the incident, and despite stern warnings from the police and the medical staff, they crowd at the lobby trying to get statements from the heroes involved.

Ochaco's room is beset with visitor after visitor, and it takes a while before she and Katsuki are left by themselves.

After her parents retire to a nearby hotel, Katsuki stays in her hospital room, even though he too is exhausted after almost 24 hours of keeping vigil, first while waiting for news of her rescue and then by her bedside while waiting for a chance to talk. He needs to tell Ochaco something, and he's not leaving her side until he's able to tell her.

Before he can even start talking though, Ochaco is already in the middle of her own speech, tears running down her cheeks.

She loves him! She's sorry for suggesting that they end things! She's sorry that she's been taking out her stress on him! While she was in the ocean, she had prayed hard to all the gods not to let her die without speaking to him again one last time. She was so afraid she wouldn't be able to see him again and tell him that she loves him. She loves him. She doesn't want to break up.

Unable to hold it in, Katsuki feels his tears start to fall too. It's the most he has cried since he was four, but he's beyond caring at this point.

He feels the same. When he thought she was gone, he had almost lost his mind from grief. He doesn't know how he would have coped if she had died and he hadn't been able to tell her he still loves her. He loves her. He's sorry for everything he had said. He's sorry that he's been a fucking asshole to her all this time. He doesn't want to break up either. He's never going to give up on her again.

He leans down onto the bed to kiss her. She hugs him with the arm that isn't attached to the IV drip.

When Katsuki gets home later that night to finally get some rest, he sleeps soundly for the first time in more than a month.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I was writing something else, but the idea for an adult!Kacchako fic invaded my brain. This was just going to be an outline, which explains the lack of dialogue, but before I knew it, I had 4 pages worth and so I decided to just go ahead and write it already, but in the interest of time, I decided to stick to this style instead of doing a complete overhaul.


	2. Chapter 1: A Perfect Fit

26/12/2017: Chapter edited to make it more consistent in style with later chapters. Added a few things, but nothing too drastic.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Perfect Fit**

Ochaco stays for three more days in the hospital for further observation. When she gets discharged, Katsuki accompanies her in the long commute from Chiba all the way to the tiny apartment she rents in a commuter town just out of Tokyo.

The place isn't all that bad; the efficient train system makes it easy enough to travel in and out, but Katsuki knows Ochaco can afford better. She earns enough to manage rent within Tokyo itself, if only she stops insisting to live like a miser.

As they settle down on the train, he casually asks Ochaco if she'd be willing to move in with him once he gets his own place.

He's still living at his parents' house at the moment, also in the outskirts of Tokyo, but he's planning to move out soon. He has recently broken into the Top 10 in the hero rankings, the first in their batch at UA to do so, and the hefty increase in his salary will allow him to afford a comfortable place in the city. He and Ochaco could find a place halfway between his office and hers, if she wants to.

Ochaco wants to, of course, but she's hesitant.

For one, her parents wouldn't approve of the arrangement. They likely wouldn't go against her wishes, but they would be uncomfortable with the thought of their only daughter cohabiting with her boyfriend. They had asked awkward questions when they found out she lets him sleep over at her place sometimes; she shudders to imagine what it would be like when she actually proposes the idea of moving in with Katsuki.

Then there's also their reputation as pro heroes to consider. If word gets out to the media, their careers would take a hit. As public figures, Uravity and Bakugo are expected to be role models. Living together when they're unmarried and still so young would definitely not be taken well by a huge chunk of the conservative public.

Ochaco sighs in longing. It's such a nice dream, being able to spend more time together, getting to cuddle every night before bed, and waking up next to each other every morning, but it doesn't seem realistic right now.

Katsuki pauses for a beat and then he asks her bluntly if she wants to get married. She lets out a chuckle, slapping his arm lightly at the joke, but he doesn't laugh along. He's not kidding, he says.

If the only concern is her parents and the public not liking the idea of them living together outside of marriage, then there wouldn't be any problem if they get married first. So why don't they do that? They can get married as soon as possible. She should seriously consider it.

Ochaco stares at Katsuki for a while, mouth agape in shock, before she manages to sputter out a response.

But his dream! How about his dream? Katsuki wants to be the top hero, doesn't he? He can't just get married! Making it to #1 would take serious commitment. There's no way—

Katsuki impatiently cuts her off. Well, he'll fucking make a way! He's Bakugo Katsuki, isn't he? He'll fucking do it, she just fucking watch. He looks her down intently, challenge in his eyes.

Then his scowl softens, and the tips of his ears going red, he tries to explain himself less aggressively.

Almost losing Ochaco has made him realize that life is short and unpredictable, especially given their chosen career. Katsuki wants to be with her while he can, for as long as he can. It doesn't matter if marrying young sets him back. Who cares if it's going to be difficult?

He'll take difficult over one day looking back and regretting having missed out on the life he could have had with Ochaco.

He takes her hand and squeezes. It's probably selfish, he admits. It's selfish and stubborn to want the best of both worlds, but his mind is set. Katsuki is choosing to take the hard road to the top. Now, Ochaco has to decide whether she'd be willing to join him on it.

* * *

It takes all of two months for Ochaco to make her decision.

As Katsuki kisses her good night outside her door after a date, she finds herself pulling him back by the sleeve as he turns to leave. She doesn't want him to go.

That nice dream of spending more time together, cuddling before bed every night, and waking up every morning next to each other, she wants that to come true. When they talk of home, she wants it to be something that she and Katsuki have made together. She wants to be brave and take the plunge with him.

So she says yes. Just one word. She whispers it out of the blue without context, but Katsuki doesn't need any. He understands immediately. Grinning, he kisses her again, and she opens the door to her apartment to let them both inside.

In the morning, Ochaco wakes up next to a small velvet box. She opens it to find a ring inside, a simple band of rose gold that branches out in vines to secure a round diamond at the center.

She stares at it, dumbstruck, and it's in this state that Katsuki finds her as he returns with a bag of groceries. He had gone out to buy ingredients for breakfast after unsuccessfully finding anything remotely healthy in her tiny kitchen.

Ochaco asks him what the ring is for, and he frowns. She's an idiot, he tells her. It's an engagement ring, what else? He proposed to her and she accepted, so now she has a ring.

He had bought it on the day he first asked, and he has kept it in his pocket all this time, ready to whip it out should the day come that Ochaco decides to say yes. But they got so busy last night in the aftermath of her answer that he had completely forgotten about it until it fell from his pants as he got dressed this morning.

Ochaco carefully takes the ring out of its cushion and puts it on the fourth finger of her left hand. It's a perfect fit. She squeals happily and bounds off the bed to draw Katsuki into a big, tight hug.

* * *

Given the nature of their job, it's rare for pro heroes to marry among themselves, rarer still for them to marry young. So when Bakugo and Uravity's engagement is announced to the public by their respective agencies, it understandably causes an uproar in the news and on social media.

Bakugo has just turned 21, Uravity is only 20. They've both barely broken into their career as heroes, and they're already getting married? The public is divided into those who think they're brave, and those who think they're naïve.

Kirishima almost gets fired from his job after he starts a fist fight at the office cafeteria upon overhearing a group of losers from another team making snide remarks about the engagement.

One of them calls for a bet on how long the marriage will last. A snooty one remarks that Bakugo's arrogance has no equal if he thinks he can rise to be the #1 hero with his focus divided.

Then an asshole wonders out loud how much of a good lay Uravity must be for Bakugo to throw away his career for her, and Kirishima finds himself slamming his lunch tray on the face of this pervert before he can control himself. He gets a few more punches in before the building security comes to restrain him.

Katsuki viciously sneers and calls him an idiot for being so quick to act on his anger, and Kirishima is insulted to hear that coming from him. But for all his apparent lack of gratitude, Katsuki accompanies Kirishima when he is summoned by their employer, and Katsuki grudgingly lowers his head along with Kirishima to plead for a lighter sanction.

In the end, what saves Kirishima is the fact that he had refrained from using his Quirk when he attacked, and he gets away with a temporary suspension.

Soon, the hype dies down. Bakugo and Uravity's engagement becomes old news, and citizens of the Internet move on to the next trending issue.

Katsuki and Ochaco register their marriage in the fall and set the ceremony for the following spring.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Hi fellow Kacchako fan, you made it to the end of Chapter 1, thank you very much for your support. If you can leave a review for me, that would be extra nice. I check my mail every day to check if I get new reviews because I really like knowing that people read my stuff :)

A few notes—

1) I can't imagine Katsuki considering an early marriage, unless something seriously major happens to shake up his perspective, hence Chapter 0.

2) As of the latest chapter in November 2017, there has been no confirmation yet of what Katsuki's hero name will actually be. He had settled for 'Bakugo' after both 'King Explosion Murder' and 'Lord Explosion Murder' were rejected, so in this fic, I will assume that he keeps Bakugo even after he becomes a pro.

[EDIT 12/26/17: Apparently, Horikoshi's initial drafts has the code name 'Ground Zero' for Katsuki. Ugh, wish I'd known that when I started writing this fic. Too late to change it now without making it confusing.]


	3. Chapter 2: Heroes League of America

27/12/17: Chapter edited to make it more consistent in style with later chapters. Added a few things, but nothing too drastic.

* * *

 **Chapter 2:** **Heroes League of America**

Their first child is a surprise.

Katsuki and Ochaco try very hard to be careful, but the method of contraception most easily available to them is not perfect, and with both of them at the peak of fertility, it's a wonder that it even takes close to two years for an unplanned pregnancy to happen.

After a few days of experiencing nausea that Ochaco is certain has nothing to do with her Quirk, she decides to visit a doctor to confirm her suspicions. Katsuki waits at work for her text to come in reporting the results, but when it finally does, he doesn't quite know how to feel.

He's not unhappy. On the contrary, he can feel excitement simmering in his chest, the warm kind that he's learned to associate with happiness that doesn't involve making things or people explode.

He's not unhappy, far from it. But this pregnancy could not have come at a worse time, and he feels his excitement being spoiled by a pinch of dread.

Another text comes in from Ochaco. She wants to know how he's taking the news. She's always so straightforward with him; he likes that about her. But for now he can't return her complete honesty. He texts her back that he's fucking excited, and she replies with a kissy face.

He ignores the guilt rising in his stomach.

* * *

When Katsuki comes home that night, Ochaco rushes to envelope him in a giant embrace before he's even barely past the entryway of their apartment. He returns the enthusiastic gesture with a grin.

She chatters about the doctor's appointment as he unlaces his shoes to change into slippers. She's about 12 weeks along in her pregnancy, and she'll be due at the end of summer. The doctor has given her a variety of pamphlets to read. Who knew pregnancy was so complicated? There's a bunch of things she needs to learn!

Taking on a rather shy tone, Ochaco asks if Katsuki would like to come with her to the next checkup. Maybe he also has questions for the doctor? Or maybe he'd find it interesting to see the sonogram? She's quick to assure him that they could schedule it on a day when he's off-duty so it doesn't interfere with his work.

Of course he'll come, Katsuki says, and Ochaco beams brightly. It falters a little when he adds that first, they have something important to discuss. He leads her to the sofa in their living room and they sink down to it next to each other.

The agency he works for is among those confirmed to be conducting an exchange program with the Heroes League of America this year, and just this morning, Katsuki had received the official memo from his employer congratulating him on having been the one selected to go.

The meaning behind his words seem to fly over Ochaco's head, because she claps her hands together in glee and gushes about how proud she is to have such a talented husband.

He takes her hands in his and explains further.

The exchange program lasts for half a year, and it's set to start in two months' time. If Katsuki goes, he'll be absent for the rest of her pregnancy and even during the birth of their first child.

The smile melts from Ochaco's face then. Katsuki rubs soothing circles into the back of her hands with his thumbs. She watches his ministrations without a word, and when she finally breaks her silence, asking him if he still wants to go, her tone is neither reproachful nor threatening, but a little sad.

Katsuki gives her hands a reassuring squeeze. Yes, he still wants to go, but he won't if she tells him not to.

Ochaco's reaction is not what he expects. Her mouth thins and she brusquely withdraws her hands from his grasp. He's being unfair, she accuses. He's pushing the burden of the decision onto her shoulders so he'll have someone to blame if anything goes wrong.

Katsuki tries to tell her it's not like that, but she's not listening. He feels his temper rise. He tells her to shut the fuck up, and she does, but her eyes go cold, and she slams the door when she retreats to their bedroom.

Fuck. He fucked up. This isn't how it was supposed to go.

Taking a long, heavy breath, Katsuki pushes himself up from the sofa. He should go take a walk and cool his head. He's not going to get through to Ochaco like this.

He knocks on the closed bedroom door and gruffly announces that he'll be going to the grocery by the station. Is there anything Ochaco needs him to buy for her?

She doesn't respond, and Katsuki pretends it doesn't bother him. He doesn't blame Ochaco for being upset. He shouldn't have raised his voice at her like that, not when she's making a valid point.

But fuck, he wants to go!

America is the Land of Heroes, where professional heroism first started, and the Heroes League of America is the biggest hero agency in the world. He can't imagine what he would be missing out on if he lets this rare opportunity slip out of his grasp.

But that would mean leaving Ochaco alone while she's pregnant. That would mean letting her give birth alone.

But she doesn't have to be on her own, does she? Her parents could come over. They know more about this baby shit than he does. They would probably be much bigger help to her than he is.

He tries hard to convince himself, but he knows he's rationalizing.

He ruffles his own hair roughly in frustration. Grabbing the jacket he has left lying on the arm of the sofa, he slides back into his shoes and stomps in the direction of the 24-hour-grocery.

As he walks, he checks his phone periodically hoping for a text from Ochaco, but nothing comes.

* * *

Katsuki returns home after a couple of hours with dinner for two.

Without anything to buy at the grocery, he had ended up wandering aimlessly around town instead. His stomach had rumbled loudly about an hour into it, and he realized that neither he nor Ochaco have had anything to eat, so he stopped over at a family restaurant for takeout before going back.

The food would serve as his peace offering, too.

He knocks on their bedroom door and invites his wife to eat. He hears sheets rustling from the other side, and then the door swings open to reveal a bleary-eyed Ochaco who looks like she has just woken up from a nap. It hits him that she's been extra lethargic lately; it must be the pregnancy.

Katsuki lifts the brown bag containing their dinner. She stares coldly at him, and he finds himself blurting out an apology even though he really hadn't planned on doing that.

But it's worth it when a half-smile graces her face and she leans up to kiss him on the cheek. She's sorry too and she loves him.

The mood is considerably lighter as they eat. They talk about what they would name their child, whether it would be a boy or a girl, and who it would take after. They try to guess what his or her Quirk might turn out to be.

Neither of them brings up the topic of his exchange program for the rest of the evening.

Later, after they retire to bed, Katsuki is almost asleep when he feels Ochaco scoot closer. She drapes an arm around his middle and presses her face against his rib.

She tells him it's okay if he goes, and he thinks he's dreaming. But when he opens an eye to peek at her, her lips are moving.

It's okay if he goes. She knows how much he wants to become the top hero, and if this exchange program can help him get closer to that goal, she will support him.

Katsuki turns on his side so he can embrace her. He brushes his lips against the top of her head and whispers his thanks.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Why hello, you're still there? Color me flattered! Thank you for sticking with me up to the end of Chapter 2. I am looking forward to your continued support!

Do leave a review, if you can. Let me know if you think Katsuki should go on his exchange program, or if he should stay with Ochaco to support her through her pregnancy.

A few notes:

1) As with probably the rest of the world, the most common and most accessible method of impermanent contraception in Japan is the use of the male condom, which is hugely effective, but not perfect.

2) America being the 'Land of Heroes' is a legit canon fact. It's mentioned in one of the final chapters of the School Trip arc. The fact that pro heroism started there as well as the Heroes League of America, however, are things that I pulled out of my butt.

3) Not sure if it's popular practice in many countries, but here where I am, I have heard of companies with exchange programs. They send a local employee to work at a branch in another country, and then host a foreign employee in his place. It's for experience and cultural awareness.


	4. Chapter 3: His Precious Letter

27/12/17: Chapter edited to make it more consistent in style with later chapters. Added a few things, but nothing too drastic.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: His Precious Letter**

It annoys Katsuki severely that Kirishima doesn't seem to approve of the resolution to his dilemma. He has explained that Ochaco is fine with him going on the exchange program to America, but Kirishima is still throwing him a judgmental look.

Katsuki barks at him to spit it out already, and Kirishima points out that it wouldn't be very manly of Katsuki to go chasing his dreams halfway around the world while his wife is pregnant.

Katsuki clicks his tongue and repeats that the plan has Ochaco's blessing. Kirishima flatly retorts that just because she says it's okay doesn't mean it's really okay, and Katsuki walks away in a huff. He refuses to talk to Kirishima for the rest of the afternoon.

When he gets home that night, he asks Ochaco again if she's sure about him going, and she sounds almost exasperated at having to answer the question for the hundredth time.

Yes, she's okay with it. In fact, she has already discussed it with her parents, and they will be arranging for her mother to stay in Tokyo while Katsuki is gone.

Deciding that more help would be welcome, he proposes that they visit his own parents on the weekend to finally tell them about the baby. His mother is very fond of Ochaco and would definitely be happy to offer support during the pregnancy.

* * *

What Katsuki doesn't expect is for his parents to share the same opinion as Kirishima. They don't say it out loud, not in front of Ochaco, but the fact becomes obvious when they greet the news of his exchange program with stunned silence.

They share a look, and Mitsuki cheefully whisks Ochaco away in the pretense of looking in the back room for her old maternity clothes. It's a lame-ass excuse as far as Katsuki is concerned, because even if those hadn't already been discarded at a recycle shop over two decades ago, his old hag of a mother is more than half a foot taller than Ochaco. No way those clothes would fit well.

Katsuki scowls at his father as the women leave the living room. Before Masaru can say anything, Katsuki goes ahead and snaps that he doesn't understand why everyone is so against him going when Ochaco herself is fine with it.

Masaru scratches the side of his head, not sure how to spell it out to his son. Katsuki is gifted with many things, but emotional intelligence is not one of them.

He begins with saying that just because Ochaco says it's okay doesn't mean it's really okay, and it annoys Katsuki that his father should repeat the exact line that Kirishima had spouted at him earlier that week. Where did they learn that shit?

They don't understand. Ochaco wouldn't bluff like they seem to imply. She has always been straight with Katsuki. She has never been scared of his anger. She has always bravely stood her ground before him. It's part of why he likes her so much.

Masaru gently points out that this time, it's not Katsuki's anger she risks to earn by being honest with her feelings, but his resentment. She risks him growing to see her and their baby as a hindrance to achieving his dream.

Katsuki's heart sinks to his stomach then and he hopes his father would shut up already.

Masaru reaches across the coffee table to give his son a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Eager and talented, with many years as a pro hero ahead of him, Katsuki will certainly have no shortage of opportunities for career advancement.

Is this single one out of many really worth missing out on his wife's first pregnancy and the birth of their first child?

* * *

Ochaco wakes up in the middle of the night; the space on the bed beside her is empty. She finds Katsuki in the living room, sitting on the sofa with an absent look, holding a piece of paper she recognizes to be his letter of invitation to the exchange program.

The deadline for his requirements is coming up. She wonders if he's worried about that. Her stomach lurches unpleasantly and she's not sure if it's because of the pregnancy or if it's just her anxiety about him leaving.

She shakes it off, putting on a smile before she calls out to ask Katsuki what he's doing up so late.

He doesn't answer and instead asks her a question of his own. How does she really feel about him going on the exchange program? When he meets her eyes, she figures out that he has seen through her.

Her face drops. Softly, she tells him the truth. She's sad and scared. She knows their parents would take good care of her, and she knows it's just her feelings more than a real necessity, but she hopes Katsuki would stay.

Tears fall from her eyes and she begins to ramble.

She's knows she's being selfish, and she doesn't want to hold him back from anything, and she doesn't ever want him to think she's a burden, and she knows the baby isn't planned so it's not like he had meant for this to happen, and she's really sorry for breaking down like this when they've already decided, but she's never been pregnant before, and she doesn't know what to expect, and she's scared of all the changes happening to her body, and she's scared that giving birth would be painful, and she doesn't want to be with her mother when it happens, she wants to be with Katsuki, and she wants them to share that precious moment together.

Katsuki gets up from the sofa and draws her into his arms, embracing her tightly and letting her soak his clothes with her tears.

How naïve he had been to think that everything would just go smoothly.

He had told Ochaco when he proposed marriage that he was choosing the hard road. He had been so confident that he could take it, but now that an actual conflict has come up, he's shrinking away from what he knows he should do.

His thought goes to his contemporaries. Fucking Deku and Todoroki would definitely be their respective agencies' candidates. Who else from their batch at UA would be going? How far behind would he be left if he doesn't go?

Ochaco hiccups against his chest. Her tears aren't stopping. He gives her a squeeze and then disentangles himself to get her a glass of water from the kitchen.

Katsuki watches silently as she drinks, continuing to hiccup between gulps. He waits for her sniffles to quiet down, then he tells her that the plans have changed. He'll be staying with her after all. His heart stings at the words, but he ignores it.

Ochaco immediately launches into a protest. He doesn't have to do this. She's sorry for suddenly springing her emotions on him. She's just feeling a bit overwhelmed, but she'll be okay, really! Katsuki shakes his head and declares with finality that his mind is made up.

She's not selfish and she's not a burden. He's staying because it's the responsible thing to do. This is what he had signed up for when he chose to take this path. He can't just go skipping off to do his own shit now and leave her back home all by herself.

Katsuki manages to force a smirk. Its painful, but he stubbornly keeps it on his face as he repeats his father's words.

He's eager and talented, with many years as a pro hero ahead of him. Surely, there will be no shortage of opportunities for Bakugo Katsuki. This single one of many is not worth missing out on Ochaco's first pregnancy and the birth of their first child.

And to prove his resolve, he holds up his precious letter and reduces it to dust with an explosion from his palm.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

"It's not called the 'hard road' for nothing, Bakugo-shounen," I say in my best All Might impression.

I am not married and I have never been pregnant. While writing this part of the story, I was in a dilemma myself. Ochaco would probably be able to manage just fine by herself, but I decided that she doesn't deserve to be go through her first pregnancy alone, not if there is an option for Katsuki to be there with her.

So I decided to make him stay. It may be painful, it may hold him back from his dreams, but as he himself acknowledges, this is part of what he had signed up for the moment he proposed marriage. The hard road requires some sacrifices to be made, and Katsuki, though he's often a huge jerk, is someone who stands by his commitments and fulfills his responsibilities.

Thank you for your support until now. Hoping for your continued readership.


	5. Chapter 4: Engulfed in Flames

**Chapter 4: Engulfed in Flames**

Remaining active while pregnant should be fine in moderation, but the very nature of a hero's job defies moderation. So when her baby bump starts to show, Ochaco is advised by her doctor to take a break from hero work.

Unable to go on patrol or participate in rescue missions, Ochaco is then temporarily relegated to an administrative role in the agency.

It's a bummer. Ochaco has never been one to like paperwork and now she's stuck behind a desk from 9 to 5 going through mission reports and scheduling evaluation meetings.

She's bored, her hormones are all over the place, and she can't finish doing a single thing without having to take a bathroom break or twenty in the middle of it. It doesn't make for a good combination, and for the first time in his life, Katsuki is the less irritable of a pair.

The first time she lashes out at him for something that was absolutely not his fault, he fights back, only to later retract all his words and apologize through the bathroom door after she locks herself inside and starts sobbing.

His parents tell him it's normal, and Katsuki makes a face. Mitsuki slaps him upside the head and snaps at him to be more considerate. Gods know how much of a pain he had been when he was in her womb.

Katsuki feels a rush of respect for his father for having survived a pregnant Mitsuki. No wonder he has no siblings.

His parents tell him to be understanding, and not to engage when Ochaco is in one of her moods, so Katsuki takes to biting the inside of his cheeks when she does something that grates on his nerves.

Like bitching that the peaches he had brought home for her aren't as sweet as she likes them.

The fucking peaches he had had to scour seventeen fucking markets across three fucking wards for, because she wouldn't stop whining that she's craving them. Even though it's the middle of fucking spring and they're not yet in fucking season.

In moments like these, Katsuki reminds himself of the facts he's learned from the pregnancy books he has been reading. Her back is painful. Her feet are sore. Her hormones are running wild.

He allows himself to be kind, and then he looks forward to the following morning when he can go to work and take his frustrations out on the exchange program guy.

Katsuki can't remember his name. It's the young American hero who now tags along in their team in Kirishima's place, the one the Heroes League of America had sent their agency for the exchange program that Katsuki couldn't go on.

The exchange program guy is jolly and optimistic and serves as a constant reminder of what Katsuki had to give up. Needless to say, Katsuki hates his guts.

After Katsuki declined the offer to go on the program, their employer had chosen Kirishima to take his place. Kirishima had been reduced to tears because he had never in his life ever dreamed of being given such an opportunity.

Katsuki had wanted to explode his stupid face out of envy, and when Kirishima later tweets a photo of himself, Todoroki, and fucking Deku on their first day at the Heroes League of America office, Katsuki wishes he had gone ahead and done it.

Letting that golden opportunity slip through his fingers still pains Katsuki deeply, but every time he finds himself struck with self-doubt, he recites pregnancy facts to remind himself why he had chosen to stay.

Ochaco's back is painful. Her feet are sore. Her hormones are running wild. She fatigues easily. She's not even allowed to do hero work anymore.

His wife doesn't deserve to deal with all of that without his full support. She's making all these sacrifices for their baby. How much of a scumbag would he be if he doesn't make a few of his own?

Katsuki reassures himself that he had made the right decision. He dispels his feelings of longing, and gives the exchange program guy the wrong directions back to his hotel.

* * *

Doctor appointments get more frequent by the sixth month of Ochaco's pregnancy, and Katsuki finds it more and more difficult to squeeze them into his packed schedule. She tells him each time that he doesn't have to go, but he has become wary of anything she says about his involvement in stuff related to the pregnancy.

Katsuki's eyes dart to the smartwatch he has taken to wearing even when he's in his hero costume. His team finished their mission ages ago, but the police debriefing is taking so goddamn long he might not make in time for Ochaco's check-up.

He's extra impatient because today is supposed to be a milesone. The pregnancy is now beyond the halfway mark, and the doctor said they might finally be able to tell if the baby is a boy or a girl.

Katsuki finds that pretty exciting. At last, a fact about their baby that he can actually appreciate knowing.

So far all he has seen during their doctor visits are fuzzy black and white lines on a screen, and while Ochaco seems to be moved by that, Katsuki is completely unimpressed. He thinks the doctor must be shitting if she expects that to arouse any kind of paternal emotions in him.

His smartwatch vibrates against his skin and he steals another quick glance. It's a message from Ochaco. Shit. She's probably wondering why he hasn't called yet to tell her he's on his way.

The people around him start shifting in their seats and Katsuki realizes that the debriefing is finally over. He leaps to his feet and rushes to the locker rooms to get changed, but just as he's unlacing his combat boots, an alarm goes off and wails throughout the building.

It means a villain attack, and it's happening nearby. All heroes on site are expected to report to their superiors.

Fuck this shit. Shit's just got to happen when he's in a hurry, doesn't it? Fuck!

Katsuki hurriedly does the laces of his boots again. Then he sends a quick text to Ochaco to explain the situation before stashing his phone back into his locker and making a run for the exit.

* * *

The villain isn't particularly strong, and their team manages to apprehend him in record time.

But another finished mission means another debriefing with the police, and by the time they're done, Katsuki doesn't need to look at the time to know he has missed the doctor's appointment.

His smartwatch shows a notification for three missed calls from Ochaco. He runs a hand through his hair and sighs heavily.

Throughout the afternoon, he had been distracted at work because his thoughts were on the check-up. He barely remembers a thing from the two debriefing sessions he had just sat through.

But then, because he got tied up at work, he ends up not being able to attend the check-up either. It's stupid and ironic, and Katsuki feels completely drained.

Seeing no more reason to hurry, he doesn't move from his seat in the debriefing room and calls Ochaco straight from his smartwatch. His colleagues are still around but fuck if he cares. He doesn't give two shits right now what they'd think about him making a phone call in public. Impolite his ass, they can all go suck a dick.

The line barely rings once before Ochaco picks up. He begins to tell her he's sorry for missing the appointment, but the words freeze in his throat when he hears her sniffling.

His heart stops and he assumes the worst. Fuck. The baby's dead, isn't it? Shit the baby's dead. His colleagues all look at him in alarm, even the exchange program guy who doesn't understand a lick of Japanese.

Ochaco actually chuckles through her sniffling. What the fuck. She's gone crazy from grief. But she tells him he should calm down and stop saying negative things. The baby's fine. They're both fine.

Katsuki resumes breathing, then he scowls and snaps at her for scaring him like that. Why the hell is she crying if everything's all right?

She laughs again and lovingly calls him an idiot. It's tears of happiness, she tells him. They've reached a milestone in her pregnancy, and she's so moved she can't help her tears.

It's a girl. They're having a baby girl.

Katsuki is speechless for a while as the words sink in.

A baby girl. And she's coming in just a few more months.

He and Ochaco are going to be parents.

He has known it all this time, but somehow, it feels like he's only becoming truly and completely aware of it for the first time. It's like waking up from a dream.

The warmth that has been simmering in his chest since Ochaco first broke the news of her pregnancy erupts into a flame and engulfs his very being.

Suddenly, the exchange program that had been so painful to give up doesn't seem so important anymore, and for the first time, he doesn't need to make an effort to convince himself that he made the right choice to stay.

He's got a baby girl coming in a few months, who the fuck gives a shit about the Heroes League of America?

Katsuki feels his eyes sting and he suddenly regrets making the call in public. Now he has to duck his head and pretend he's scratching his face so his colleagues don't notice him crying.

But they've all burst into applause. They cheer and congratulate him, and someone translates the gist of his phone call for the benefit of the exchange program guy, who becomes just as elated at the news.

He gives Katsuki a hearty pat on the shoulder with a word of congratulations, and Katsuki, eyes rimmed red from holding back tears, tells him to go fuck himself in the most cheerful tone anyone in the office has ever heard from him.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

No, I don't know how Katsuki puts on the smartwatch with those big-ass grenadier bracers on his arms. Lol. Honestly, I forgot all about that aspect of his hero costume while I was writing, and by the time I remembered, I was long done with this chapter and have already included the smartwatch in another one.

So I decided to keep it. The reason I decided on a smartwatch anyway is because I don't think heroes would have their phones with them while they're doing hero work. Deku and Todoroki aside, I haven't seen anyone else who has a phone while on duty, or maybe I just can't remember.

A smartwatch woud be easier to keep on you since it's smaller, wearable, and more discreet. So I guess Katsuki just slips it over his wrist below the bracers.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave me a review! :)


	6. Chapter 5: A Child Without Equal

**Chapter 5: A Child Without Equal**

The hero agency Ochaco had ended up choosing to work for after graduating from UA was a compromise between her ambition and good compensation. Agencies that specialize in villain capture pay better, but she decided she would make the best use of her abilities in rescue.

Her salary, even as a rookie, was still more than modest and should have given her the chance to raise her poor standard of living, except she hardly ever spent money on her own needs. Instead, with every paycheck, Ochaco found new ways to spoil her parents.

Living far away, they were blissfully unaware of how much Ochaco deprived herself for them, but Katsuki knew and it drove him crazy. He was plenty cheap himself, only spending on things that he considered important, but Ochaco took that lifestyle to an incredible level.

In the dead of winter, he would find her drowning under multiple layers of clothing inside her tiny apartment, trying to scrimp on electricity by limiting the number of hours she had her heating on.

She ate convenience store food day in and day out, and she refused to replace her goddamn mattress even though it was already so old the springs squeaked loudly with every little movement. She probably would never have thrown it out if Katsuki hadn't taken it upon himself to blow it up for good.

That had gotten her really mad, and in retrospect it wasn't a very nice thing to do, but at least she was forced to finally get a new one.

When Ochaco and Katsuki got married, her extreme frugality was one of the things they had to seriously discuss. He told her flatly that she should not expect him to adopt her ridiculous lifestyle. On the contrary, he expected her to be more reasonable with decisions concerning money.

For one, they would be living somewhere far more central than the sticks she had settled for, and they would definitely be needing a bigger place than the closet she lived in.

Ochaco was willing enough to try things his way in the beginning, but her eyes got progressively rounder and her knees weaker with each apartment they checked, all Katsuki's choices, that rented for over two hundred thousand yen a month. Their combined salaries could handle that much, but it hurt her to think of parting with an amount like that just for a place to live.

In the end, they compromised, deciding on a low-rise apartment building in one of the quieter, less commercialized neighborhoods in the Toshima ward. The building wasn't new but it looked well-maintained. The rent was a hundred forty-nine thousand including the management fee, about the median for a unit of its size in Tokyo and a steal considering its proximity to a train station served by the city's most important line.

The unit itself also left little more to desire for a newlywed couple. It had a bedroom, a kitchen separate from the central living area, a moderately-sized toilet and bath, and an extra room that the landlord had said was meant for storage but looked spacious enough to convert into a compact spare bedroom.

Or, as it turns out now, a nursery for their coming baby.

* * *

Ochaco watches from the bottom of the stepladder as Katsuki removes the plain bulb from the ceiling of the new nursery. She takes it from him to free his hand and then proceeds to float the lamp they had picked out the other day so he could fix it in place.

It's one of the only few fixtures for the nursery that Ochaco has so far had a hand in choosing. The crib, the changing table, and the shelf that now adorn the room had all been bought by Katsuki without her knowledge.

One evening, he had randomly brought up the idea of turning their extra room into a nursery. She agreed, they discussed a little about what they would need to buy, and then he dropped the topic, so she figured they would be leaving the shopping for when her due date is closer.

To her surprise though, delivery men turned up at their doorstep only three days later, bearing new furniture that Katsuki had ordered online.

Ochaco had pouted and whined about not having been involved in the decision-making, but Katsuki just snorted. Being the scrooge that she is, she would have just chosen the cheapest option for each item anyway. She puffed her cheeks and stuck her tongue out at him, unable to argue with the truth.

Not one for cutesy motifs, Katsuki had chosen neutral, classic pieces that make the new nursery look rather stylish despite the cramped space. Ochaco finds nothing to complain about, especially since he had even bought them with his own money, as opposed to using funds from their joint account.

When she asked him why, he shrugged and said that the stuff he bought are gifts to his daughter, not a shared household expense. Ochaco grinned at that, poking his cheek and teasing him about being tsundere. He snarled and swatted her hand away in annoyance. He hates that word.

It wouldn't be fair to call it a complete three-sixty, because that would imply that he hadn't been supportive from the start, and he was, but there certainly has been an improvement in Katsuki's general attitude toward the pregnancy ever since they learned the sex of their baby.

Somehow, that seemed to have humanized their child in Katsuki's mind and made the reality of his impending fatherhood more concrete. For the first time, he had looked at the sonogram of her womb like he finally truly understood that he was seeing the beginnings of a real person, one that he had helped create.

And whereas Ochaco used to have the impression that Katsuki had stayed mostly out of a sense of responsibility, he began to become more proactive when it came to matters involving her pregnancy.

But perhaps the most important development of all is that he has stopped looking so miserable whenever Kirishima tweets about his experiences with the Heroes League of America. Katsuki had tried to hide it, but Ochaco could tell how painful it had been for him to give up that program, and for a while she had been eaten up by guilt even though she knew she shouldn't be.

These days though, he doesn't seem so hung up on it anymore. Of course, Katsuki being Katsuki, he still has some choice words to say about Deku whenever the guy pops up in Kirishima's photos, but much to Ochaco's relief, she hears less and less of the bitter envy that he had never really been successful at concealing.

Katsuki finishes fixing the lamp and Ochaco goes to turn on the switch. It's nothing fancy, but it diffuses the light much better than a naked bulb and lends the room a cozier feel.

He descends the stepladder, folds it up, and puts it away, then he disappears into their bedroom to retrieve the rest of the items that they had bought the other day in their last round of baby shopping .

She's almost due now, just a few more weeks to go.

Katsuki returns to the nursery and together, they put up the final touches. They suspend a musical star mobile above the crib, stock the changing table with supplies, and fix a hook by the shelf for the baby sling to hang on.

Then they take a step back, standing side by side at the doorway, to admire their handiwork. Ochaco takes Katsuki's hand and leans her head on his shoulder.

The nursery is ready. They're ready. All that's left is for baby Kimiko to finally come into this world.

* * *

Immediately after they found out that their child is going to be a girl, Katsuki and Ochaco had begun seriously considering names.

They went back and forth on several suggestions, made by each other and by extended family, until they finally decided on one that they both agreed would be perfect.

'Kimiko', written to mean 'a child without equal'.

It was a suggestion made by Katsuki's father. A bit old-fashioned and not very unique as far as names go, but it strikes the right chord. It fits.

She's a child so precious that her father had given up an important stepping stone to his ambition. She's a child so loved that her mother would do the same in a heartbeat. Certainly, Masaru had said with one of his gentle smiles, for Katsuki and Ochaco, their daughter is a child without equal.

And she is. She definitely is.

Katsuki and Ochaco had looked at each other then, confirming with a warm gaze and a slight squeeze of their hands that they had found the perfect name for their baby.

Their first daughter is to be known as Kimiko, a child without equal.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Whew, this has been hard to write, and for a while I wasn't sure if I should just scrap this chapter altogether. We're in a transitional chapter, just after a conflict has been resolved and a new one has not come up yet, and in my mind I was like, is this chapter needed? Should I just go ahead to the next one?

But in the end I decided to keep it because I wanted to show how Katsuki's motivation changes from a sense of responsibility to actual excitement for their baby in a way that's a little more concrete than what's presented in the previous chapter.

Anyway, as you may have noticed by now, I love giving long-ass notes at the end of each chapter, and for this one I had to do a bit of research so I have lots to share.

1) In Japanese apartment jargon, LDK means 'living, dining, kitchen'. The number that precedes it refers to the number of bedrooms. Katsuki and Ochaco live in a 1LDK. The extra room is not stated in the description because it's just extra space. The average rent for a 1LDK in Tokyo is around 123,000 yen according to an online source.

Katsuki and Ochaco's apartment is based on an actual 1LDK apartment in Komagome that I found listed online. Of course there is nowhere in the fic that this is going to be relevant, but it helps me write when I have real stuff as basis. Now every time I'll write about their home life, I'll go on Google and check if what I'm describing is applicable to Komagome, so in a way my imagination will also be helped along by actual facts.

I chose Komagome because I needed a place that is accessible but not too expensive, and it fits the bill because it's apparently one of the cheaper metropolitan neighborhoods and it's served by the JR Yamanote Line, which connects important urban centers, where I imagine most top hero offices would be. It's also the site of two of Tokyo's most serene gardens, which I think Ochaco would love living close to, seeing as she's not a big city girl and thinks there should be more green spaces in cities. She said as much in an omake.

Finally, in a previous chapter I wrote about a 24-hour grocery in their neighborhood, which I had made up without any research, but then I found out while reading up on Komagome that they do have one of those even though it's apparently a rarity in Japan. I loved that happy coincidence so I took it as a sign that I've found the place I wanted.

2) Salaries are not big for fresh graduates, not even if you're from a good school. From what I read online, young workers get between 200,000 to 250,000 yen per month at the average, not including yearly bonuses. But I imagine pro heroes, especially the ones from UA, would be able to get a bit more. It is, after all, a job equivalent to being somewhat of a celebrity.

3) The name Kimiko. I don't speak Japanese, and I'm not good with comping up with names. I found the name Kimiko and its meaning on a website with baby names. I think 'a child without equal' fits well enough, so I decided to use it.

As always, thank you for reading. Do leave me a word if you can! :)


	7. Chapter 6: Prune in Mayonnaise

**Chapter 6:** **Prune in Mayonnaise**

Ochaco gives birth at the end of summer, just as the heat lets up and the air turns cool and dry.

The prenatal classes that she, and sometimes Katsuki, has been attending taught her the signs that marked the beginning of labor and what to do when it starts to happen, so she doesn't panic when the contractions hit her hard while she's alone in their apartment.

It's eleven in the morning of what is to be her third week of maternity leave. She's still in bed, lazily scrolling through her Twitter feed, when it happens. Her finger stills on her phone screen and she sucks in a breath through grit teeth, but she doesn't think much of it and lets it pass.

Contractions have been happening a lot lately. She's learned from her classes that it's normal to have them more frequently as her due date approaches, but that it can still take several days before the baby is really ready.

However, when another one wracks her body only a few minutes later, she leaves Twitter and starts the stopwatch on her phone to time how long and how frequent her contractions are coming. At about the fifth wave, a pattern is confirmed, and she's convinced that the time has come.

Drenched in cold sweat from the pain, she makes four phone calls. Thankfully, all the numbers she needs have been saved in advance on speed dial, because the steadily intensifying pain all over her body is making it difficult to think.

First, she calls the hospital to leave a message for her doctor about what's been happening. The nurse on duty reminds her to keep timing her contractions and to come in as soon as her water breaks.

Second, she calls her mother to tell her it's time to book seats on the bullet train to Tokyo because she'll be giving birth latest by tomorrow, and not to worry because everything is fine.

Third, she calls her mother-in-law to let her know that she and Katsuki may need to intrude on her and her husband's time tonight and until tomorrow morning, because the baby is about to be born.

Finally, she calls Katsuki, who answers on the second ring. The noise in the background makes it apparent that he's outside, most likely on patrol duty. As calmly as she's capable, Ochaco tells him that she's in active labor and that she's taken care of informing everyone who needs to know. Now all she needs him to do is come home as soon as he can and help her get ready for the hospital.

Her words are met by a brief silence, and then Katsuki digests what she's said and lets out a string of curses. He'd known she was due soon but somehow the news still catches him off guard.

She tells him that there is no reason to freak out, everything is under control, and that the small hiss of pain that escaped her just now is nothing to be concerned about. Then she hangs up and hopes he pulls himself together before she's forced to leave for the hospital all by herself.

* * *

The exchange program guy glances back in confusion when he notices that Bakugo has fallen behind. He sees him standing by the side of the road a few paces back, talking into his smartwatch.

He walks back to ask Bakugo what's up and catches a bit of what he says before the phone call ends. The exchange program guy immediately knows he's swearing. His comprehension of Japanese has improved quite a bit over the months, and he would recognize those words anywhere because he hears them day in and day out from Bakugo.

He asks him if he's all right. Bakugo stares ahead without seeming to really see him and mumbles a few words in Japanese that the exchange program guy is not familiar with. He hesitantly asks him to say it again, and that seems to jolt Bakugo out of his daze.

Surprisingly, Bakugo doesn't flip him off. He just repeats, this time in English, that he needs to go because his wife is about to give birth. Then he walks away, back stiff and unnervingly calm, in the direction of their office.

The exchange program guys calls out to his retreating back and wishes him good luck, but Bakugo doesn't respond.

* * *

Katsuki has made sure to inform his office weeks prior that Ochaco is due soon and that he will be taking some time off from work when the day comes, so when he appears back in the office, looking dazed, in the middle of what is supposed to be patrol duty, his employer immediately figures out what's up.

Without waiting for an explanation, he tells Bakugo to be on his way and to give Uravity his regards, then reminds him to confirm as soon as possible when he is expecting to report back to work.

Katsuki, mind still reeling from Ochaco's phone call, just nods absently, then he remembers that he's talking to his boss and he lowers his head slightly before leaving for the locker rooms to change.

Taking time off work had been a lengthy discussion between himself and Ochaco.

By law, both of them are entitled to take up to 12 months of paid childcare leave. This is on top of the maternity leave available to Ochaco from 6 weeks before giving birth up to 8 weeks after.

It's a generous provision, but they're both aware that taking that much time off from hero work will have negative repercussions on their rankings, especially given the cutthroat competition in the pro hero industry.

Ochaco, especially, can't risk being out of the public eye for much longer. She hasn't been doing hero work for four months now and the little that has been written about Uravity lately has had to do with her pregnancy instead of her merit as a hero.

While it's a good sign that people are still interested in what she's up to, having nothing but articles on her personal life for an extended period will not be good in the long run, not if she wants to be taken seriously as a pro.

It's not the first time her popularity has been at risk. When she and Katsuki first announced their marriage, they both received flak but it was Ochaco who suffered the brunt of the consequences.

Brooding, easy to anger, and more than just a little wild, The Explosion Hero Bakugo had always been marketed as a 'bad boy' type. The managers at his hero agency made the business decision not to sanitize his language or refine his manners, because it gave him a distinct identity.

When he had told them of his intention to get married at age 21, they worried that his reputation would take a hit. However, what happened was the contrary, at least for a certain demographic. The news earned snide remarks from haters, but on the other hand, it solidified the loyalty of many fangirls, who loved how Bakugo fulfilled their ultimate fantasy of a bad boy consumed by true love.

The managers at his hero agency took to the idea and started marketing him that way. Even up to now, it makes Katsuki murderous to hear himself being called 'tsundere' by the media, but even he has to admit that it's a small price to pay for his continued popularity.

Ochaco wasn't as fortunate. Uravity had debuted to the public as an innocent, angelic-faced girl-next-door, and fans liked her that way. An early marriage just didn't quite figure into that equation, especially after rumors circulated that it was a shotgun wedding brought about by an unexpected pregnancy.

Of course, that was proven untrue when her stomach stayed flat in the succeeding months, but the damage could not be reversed. Uravity had lost her appeal as the sweet and innocent type, and with it a sizable portion of her fanbase.

And now that she's about to become a mother for real, Ochaco fears, with reason, that the same thing will happen all over again. She fears that motherhood will effectively kill her career, and that the longer she stays out of action to take care of a baby, the harder it will be to regain her popularity when she gets back to work.

It sounds selfish, and she feels guilty even having to take things like that into consideration, but it's part of the reality of their job. Ochaco doesn't want to be seen as an inferior hero, not just because of her ambition, but also because ranking has a direct effect on the compensation she receives. Having and raising a child is expensive, and she still has a promise to keep with her parents. She can't afford to lose her career.

Katsuki had backed the fuck off when the conversation steered in that direction. If Ochaco refuses to stay home to care for Kimiko, that only leaves him, and there is no way in hell he's going to take an extended absence from work.

It's got nothing to do with love. Of course, he loves Ochaco and Kimiko both. Of course he wants to make sure his daughter receives proper care. But being out of action for months is absolutely out of the question.

He cannot afford that, especially since the hero rankings are expected to undergo a drastic overhaul after the Heroes League of America exchange program ends and its participants return to the country in just a few more months. Competition would be tougher than ever, and Bakugo has to be in the thick of it or else lose completely.

Katsuki had braced himself to defend his standpoint through one of Ochaco's pregnancy tantrums, but miraculosly, she held it together and instead just sighed tiredly. She understood. She had expected him to say as much. Career is important to both of them, and it was clear that no amount of push-and-pull would convince either to budge.

So she told him grimly that they better start coming up with other ideas, because Kimiko is not going to wait. She will be coming into this world very soon, whether or not they had a solution to their dilemma.

* * *

When Katsuki arrives home, he finds Ochaco sitting in the lotus position in the middle of the living room floor, eyes closed and breathing in rhythmic puffs through pursed lips. He asks her how she's holding up and she puts up a finger to silence him.

She lets a contraction pass, judging by the look of pain on her face, and changes the position of her legs before she speaks. She tells him to quit being useless and go grab their stuff already so they can go to the goddamn hospital.

He doesn't even register that she's insulted him. He just gives a quick nod and rushes into their bedroom to collect the bag they've pre-packed for the occasion, then he goes back to Ochaco and tries to help her up only to be shot a death glare that could rival the ones he's famous for.

She snaps at him to go get a taxi first. Is he expecting her to stand around at the building lobby waiting for a ride when she's obviously in intense pain?

Right. Of course. Katsuki hurries out of their apartment again. When he comes back several minutes later, he announces that a taxi is waiting for them downstairs.

Ochaco nods and gets up from the floor, biting her lower lip to suppress a pitiful whimper at the pain of another contraction. They're happening much, much closer to one another now.

Katsuki feels the blood drain from his face a little bit. He's never pegged himself as the type of person who scares easily, but it's difficult not to freak out even slightly right now. Ochaco looks like she's in more pain than ever in her life, which is impressive, since her job as a pro hero has put her in tons of painful situations before. Fuck, she'd looked better when she was half-dead in the hospital after that incident in the ocean!

Wordlessly, she motions for him to come closer. When he does, she grabs onto his shoulder and hangs on, putting all her weight on him. He asks if he should carry her downstairs, but she shakes her head. She just needs support because even her legs are painful, that's all.

Carefully, he helps her out of the apartment, down the hallway, and into the elevator. She doesn't say a word through it all, apparently in too much pain to talk. He keeps quiet himself, not trusting his mouth to say the right things is in a situation like this. Instead, he keeps a hand on her back and rubs occasionally in an effort to ease some of her pain.

* * *

It takes a little over an hour after they arrive at the hospital before Ochaco's water breaks, and another four hours of labor before she finally delivers.

Throughout the excruciating pain, she somehow manages to keep her voice down, as she's been politely reminded to do by an attendant, but Katsuki could hear her muttering filthy words under her breath, some of them he didn't even know she knew.

A few times in the first couple of hours, he tries to tell her encouraging things, like what the pregnancy books and the prenatal classes had taught, but he does such a poor job of it that Ochaco just gets mad and tells him not to open his damn mouth again until the baby is born.

So instead he just offers his hand for her to hold. She crushes his fingers in her grip, and during delivery, at the peak of pain, she involuntarily activates her Quirk and sends him floating, and he has to hook his unoccupied arm around the side rail of her bed and his knees under its frame to keep himself planted on his seat.

Everything from her waist down is covered by a curtain, so neither of them witnesses the actual birth, but they hear it. Kimiko cries loud and clear the moment she comes out.

They look at each other, and Ochaco remembers to release her Quirk then. Kastuki's feet fall to the floor just as a nurse emerges from behind the curtain to place Kimiko, naked and smeared with bodily fluids, on Ochaco's chest.

She's tiny and wrinkled, with a head full of hair that's darker than Katsuki's but not quite as brown as Ochaco's. Her eyes are scrunched closed as she cries so they can't tell yet who she takes them after, but that round face is definitely her mother's.

Katsuki feels the fire in his chest burn hot and he has to clutch at his heart so he doesn't fall over from the explosion of feelings that suddenly overwhelm him. He doesn't realize he's crying until Ochaco looks up at him and, chuckling weakly, tells him that he looks adorable when he gets emotional.

Her own cheeks are wet with sweat and tears. Her hair is plastered all over her face. She's pale and worn, and she's holding their baby, who looks like a prune covered in globs of mayonnaise, delicately against her still heaving chest.

Katsuki thinks he has never seen a more beautiful picture in his life.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Those who have been reading my notes would know by now how fond I am of inserting real facts into the story. Honestly, you'd think I was writing a paper with the amount of research I do each time. I now know more about labor and giving birth than what my high school health class was ever able to teach me. But here are the other things I learned and incorporated in this chapter:

1) I read up on what happens when you give birth in Japan, and I was pretty shocked to find out that screaming or making loud noises is discouraged during labor. Wow. The mother is supposed to keep it down and focus on her breathing instead. Also, the curtain covering waist down is required, the father can only stay by the mother's head, and only if he has been attending prenatal classes. This is due to the belief that the father will freak out if he sees the actual birth, and during my research I have read of this happening, sometimes to the point that the father becomes unable to have sex with the mother for a long time after, or in extreme cases, ever! :(

2) I've been reading up on the struggles that Japanese celebrities face, and I came upon the term 'dekichata kekkon' or 'dekikon' which literally translates to 'oops-we-did-it-marriage'. Its official English translation is 'shotgun wedding'. It's what they call marriages that happen because of an unintended pregnancy, and it's quite common, with as many as a quarter of Japanese brides being pregnant at the time of their marriage. When it happens to celebrities, especially the young and popular ones, it can cause quite a stir.

3) Childcare leave is available to both parents for up to 12 months after the mother's maternity leave ends, making Japan one of the most generous countries in this aspect. However, only 3% of Japanese fathers take advantage of it due to the work culture that discourages absences.

4) When babies are born, they're placed on the mother's chest for skin-to-skin contact before being washed, so they're still covered in fluids that look like mayonnaise. Yuck, lol. But I guess if it's your kid, you wouldn't mind.

Please do leave me a review. It makes my day, seriously. Thank you for reading! 3

Next chapter, Kirishima, Deku, and Todoroki are back in the country after their exchange program with the Heroes League of America!


	8. Chapter 7: Hero Rankings

**Chapter 7: Hero Rankings**

It's barely six in the morning when Ochaco wakes Katsuki up and tells him to start getting ready. He sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes, and she urges him to move a little faster.

She herself is already wriggling into one of her looser dresses. She hasn't quite lost all of the pregnancy fat yet and she's terribly self-conscious, no matter how many times he's told her that she looks fine.

Then again, her hero costume is a skintight body suit. It's understandably difficult not to feel self-conscious wearing something like that unless your body is perfect. And today, the pressure is at an all-time high because it's the first time Ochaco will be putting it on again after several months' unuse.

She finally returns to work today, four months after giving birth. Despite her earlier disinclination to be out of action for much longer, she had decided to take a couple more months off when her maternity leave ended. Kimiko was just two months old then and it seemed almost cold to leave her in a stranger's care that early.

Katsuki had taken two weeks off from work after Ochaco gave birth in order to provide her with the support she needed while both she and their baby were vulnerable. But two weeks was all he could commit.

Ochaco didn't take it against him. She understood. In an industry where out of sight meant out of mind, it was clear that such an arrangement wasn't going to cut it long term for either of them.

The solution they've come up with is to enroll Kimiko in a nursery. Nurseries, both public and private, follow stringent government regulations and employ licensed staff that Katsuki and Ochaco can be sure would be capable of giving the best care to their baby. It's more than acceptable as an alternative to one of them staying home.

The only problem is that there are too few nurseries for too many children. Slots run out really fast, and even though Katsuki and Ochaco had started making inquiries even before Kimiko was born, they were still unsuccessful in finding one nearby that had room for her. All of the nurseries listed in their neighborhood are at full capacity with a massive waitlist.

They sent in an application for each one anyway, hoping to be considered at least for the next round of enrollment. They couldn't wait that long, though. They had to find a place that would accept Kimiko for the meantime.

So they ended up going for a privately-run nursery a bit farther from home than they would have liked. It's still within the Toshima ward, but three stops away on the train plus a seven hundred meter walk. That means allotting an extra hour every morning to get Kimiko ready and for the commute to drop her off.

But it can't be helped. It's the closest one out of the only three facilities in the entire ward that had remaining slots for the month.

Katsuki and Ochaco have agreed to take turns taking Kimiko to the nursery, but since today is the first day, they've decided to go together to see her off.

He finally gets up from the bed and heads to the bathroom after some more prodding by Ochaco, who's done getting dressed and is now looking through the bag they'll be leaving at the nursery with Kimiko. She'd already done that last night but her paranoid ass is compelling her to check a third time.

After he finishes getting ready, he sits down at the dining table for a breakfast of boiled fish and rolled omelette that he had prepared the night before, reheated by Ochaco in the morning. Her own food sits across his, still untouched, as she's now busy at the counter thawing out a bottle of her frozen breastmilk to feed Kimiko.

He eats quickly and then takes over with the milk so Ochaco can eat. He continues running the container under warm water until it's room temperature, then replaces the lid with a teat and takes it to Kimiko, whom Ochaco has transferred from their bed to the crib in her nursery.

Kimiko has been sleeping with them because it's easier to check on her in the middle of the night that way, but they move her to the nursery every morning since it's more accessible to the rest of the apartment.

She's just finally started being able to sleep through the night, much to the relief of both Katsuki and Ochaco, and in extension, all of Katsuki's colleagues at the hero agency who found out the hard way that his grumpiness could transcend to a whole new level when he's short on sleep.

Katsuki gazes idly at Kimiko in his arms as he feeds her. Her hair has become fairer in the months since her birth and has spiked up to resemble his. Her eyes are closed right now, but he already knows them to be a brilliant shade of red, just like his. She looks a lot like him, and for some reason, that makes him feel proud.

He hears chair legs scratching on the kitchen floor and figures that Ochaco is finished with breakfast. Soon, she appears at the door to the nursery and asks if Kimiko is done with hers. It's now a quarter to seven, just about time for them to leave.

Kimiko turns away from the bottle then and Katsuki takes that as a sign that she's had enough. He hands both bottle and baby over to Ochaco so he can retrieve the baby sling hanging by the shelf. He pulls it around his torso and Ochaco assists him in securing Kimiko inside.

There was a time when he'd have been embarrassed to go out in public wearing a baby on his chest, but it's turned out to actually be not that bad. In fact, he enjoys having Kimiko close to him like this.

The only downside to it is that lugging around a cooing, puffy-cheeked baby neutralizes what Ochaco likes to call his Baku-Rage Aura, and he finds that even his deadliest scowls fail to be as intimidating.

* * *

They reach the nursery at almost half past seven, just as the facility starts opening its doors to early arrivals. An attendant guides them through the process of signing in, ushers them to the area for children below a year old, and points them to the cubby hole assigned to Kimiko.

Ochaco deposits Kimiko's items into the cubby hole and hands over an insulated bag of her frozen breastmilk to the attendant. They chat a bit more about how Kimiko's first day is going to go, while a second attendant approaches Katsuki to take her from him. Immediately, he misses the tiny weight pressed against his chest.

Right then, another mother comes in holding a baby and does a double-take when she sees Katsuki. She blushes and presses a hand against her mouth. Katsuki gives her a blank stare.

After she gives her child to the staff, she rushes out of the room, giving Katsuki a strange look again as she does. He thinks to himself that he better remember which one her baby is because he doesn't want Kimiko associating with weirdos like that.

When he and Ochaco finally make their way out of the room, with him stealing one last look at Kimiko and her bowing to the attendant politely, he finally realizes what that weird mother had done.

She'd gone and alerted all the other parents dropping off their kids that pro hero Bakugo is in the premises, and now a small throng of civilians, most of them women, are crowding at the entrance ogling him.

Katsuki almost clicks his tongue in annoyance, but Ochaco puts a hand on his arm as though she's read his mind, and he stops. He hates this part of his job, but it can't be helped.

Someone in the crowd calls out to him and waves, as though they were old friends, and it annoys the hell out of him, but he shoves his involuntarily igniting hands into his pockets and grunts in acknowledgement of the fan.

The crowd erupts with small shrieks from the ladies, and he itches to snap that they should be fucking ashamed acting like that when their kids are just within earshot, but he bites his tongue and settles for a scowl. He takes Ochaco's hand and pulls on her to walk a little bit faster.

But while Katsuki is annoyed at having to humor fans at his daughter's nursery so early in the morning, Ochaco is upset for another reason.

The crowd had recognized her; she had heard her hero name being whispered around. But nobody cared. Nobody called out to her or asked for an autograph or even just waved. They only had eyes for Katsuki.

She chastises herself for being vain, but she can't help it.

It's been harder and harder to get positive attention since she got married, and in the past two years she hasn't been in the monthly Top 20 heroes ranking even once. It's frustrating. She's worked so hard to be worthy of the title 'hero', but just because she's chosen to have a life outside of her career, she feels like she's being cast aside.

Ochaco feels Katsuki laying a hand on her shoulder and she slips out of her thoughts. He asks her if she's okay, and she lets out a sheepish laugh to ease his worries. She's just sleepy, that's all.

She pulls on a mask over her nose and mouth to shield her face from the cold air of early winter. It's also meant to serve the purpose of hiding her face from unwanted attention, although basing on what just happened, it seems that that isn't something she has to be concerned about anymore.

Refusing to be pulled back into a vortex of negativity, Ochaco gives her head a vigorous shake, earning a look of confusion from Katsuki. She flashes him a thumbs up, and he lets it go, pulling on his own mask and a hoodie over his head.

They walk quietly back to the station, where they separate to go in opposite directions of the circular line to their respective offices.

* * *

Fucking Deku has climbed all the way to #5 on the hero rankings within six months of returning from America. In their batch, only Deku, Shoto and Bakugo have been able to penetrate the Top 10 since graduation, but until now, all of them have stayed at #8 and below.

It's not bad, considering they're only 23, still rookies by definition. The top spots still rightfully belong to the batches of heroes ahead of them.

But now the media is gushing about fucking Deku finally breaking that barrier and getting to #5. That puts him at a whopping three ranks ahead of Bakugo who's at #8 and four ahead of Shoto at #9.

In an interview, Deku says he owes it to his experiences in America, but when asked the specifics, he goes off on one of his lenghty otaku ramblings, and Katsuki angrily changes the channel on the television, mashing the remote control button as though it had offended him.

Fucking Deku is ahead of him by three fucking ranks. Shit!

Katsuki had known from the start that the exchange program was a big deal, but this is even beyond what he had expected. For Deku to rise that quickly to #5 when he used to barely scrape the bottom of the Top 10, that is one hell of an improvement and it grates on Katsuki's nerves that it has to be Deku of all people.

Kirishima's ranking has gone up, too. Red Riot managed to enter the Top 15 this month after being stuck at #18 for a long time. At work, he's everyone's new favorite because he suddenly has tips for every aspect of hero work, even how to fucking project to the camera so your chest looks wider. He claims he learned it from Super Guy himself. Fucking hell that happened.

But his constant showing off aside, even Katsuki has to admit that Kirishima has improved a lot since he left. His reflexes are quicker, his judgment in battle is better, and he's become a more capable strategist. All in just six months of training. It's unbelievable, and Katsuki feels his sense of loss for having declined the exchange program returning.

And then he feels guilty for thinking that. He knows he did the right thing by staying and he wouldn't have exchanged the experience of being with Ochaco at their daughter's birth for anything, but he can't help feeling more than ever that his decision had set him back in his career as a pro hero.

Fucking Deku is #5 now. He's still #8. How is he supposed to catch up?

From the kitchen, Katsuki hears Ochaco trying to coax Kimiko into finishing her dinner. At eight months, she's now eating a wide variety of food, and mealtimes have become messier and more difficult to manage.

It crosses his mind that he should be in there helping out, but he had come home in such a bad mood after the rankings for the month were revealed, that he had fumed through dinner, shoveling food into his mouth without saying a word and stalking off as soon as he was finished.

Kimiko starts crying and Ochaco sounds almost desperate as she tries to hush her. Reluctantly, Katsuki enters the kitchen and gruffly tells Ochaco he'll take over. She nods and moves to the sink to wash the dishes.

Katsuki sings the mealtime song as he feeds Kimiko the rest of her meal. He wouldn't be caught alive doing that in front of other people, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

They sing that song in nursery during mealtime and the journal that the staff sends home with Kimiko says it could help with getting her in the mood to eat, since babies her age are beginning to learn routines.

When Ochaco is done with the dishes, she announces that she'll go take her bath, and that he and Kimiko can go after her. He nods, still in the middle of the mealtime song, and she leaves for the bathroom.

* * *

Ochaco sinks into the hot water up to her chin, and only then does she allow her tears to fall. The rankings have come out for the month and she's fallen down a whole seven ranks. She's barely within Top 30 now, and it's such an insignificant number they don't even report that on television anymore.

She had thought coming back to work would fix everything, but it's been four months since she's returned and she's only continued to fall. She's been told by her boss to step up, and she has been trying her best.

But what else can she do?

The strength of her Quirk is directly tied to the state of her body. Unlike Katsuki who can induce sweating to power up, she can't miraculously will herself into becoming more energetic, not when she also has an infant to look after.

Ochaco loves Kimiko very much and the time they spend together is more than precious to her, but it's difficult. It's difficult.

She and Katsuki alternate waking up early to bring Kimiko to her nursery, but Ochaco is the one to pick her up every night. The nursery closes at a quarter past seven in the evening, and her office is closer, so she's the one who has to run from work to take Kimiko home.

She's exhausted at having to rush out of the office the moment the clock strikes six and no later, something that she knows has caused her boss to favor her a little less than her colleagues.

She's exhausted that she almost has to run the seven hundred meters between the nursery and the closest station in order to make it in time before they close, and then walk back the same distance pushing a baby stroller through the thick rush hour crowds.

She's exhausted that after this monumental feat, she still has three more stations to go in a packed train before they reach home, and when they do, she has to cook and clean and take care of Kimiko by herself, because Katsuki has been doing a lot of overtime work ever since Deku and the others returned to the country and he doesn't arrive until much later.

She's exhausted that she doesn't get to complain, because there is no alternative. Katsuki's office is too far away, so he can't be the one to pick up Kimiko; the nursery will close before he gets there. His work is much more hectic than hers, so he can't be the one to cook and clean; they'll go hungry waiting for him to come home.

And even if it's only in his mind, his hero ranking is also suffering. So how can she go crying to him about hers?

When he came home today, he had looked pissed. He had finished dinner without talking to her, without even looking at her. Then he had left her at the table to feed Kimiko all by herself, as though Ochaco hadn't already spent hours caring for their daughter while waiting for him to come home and help out.

She had wanted to be angry, to yell at him to think about her for once, but she was too exhausted to start a fight. She didn't want to add yet another thing to the long list of what she already had to be upset about.

So she bit her tongue and kept her silence in front of her husband.

And now, alone in the tub, Ochaco gulps down a sob and lets herself cry.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I hope the time skips are not confusing. I really want to make the writing seamless so I'm not putting in headers to explain when it happens, but I do include it in the text itself. Some notes:

1) Todoroki doesn't have a real hero name yet and I suck at coming up with names, so I'm using his temporary hero name, which is 'Shoto', which is just his first name. I'm sorry if it's a bit confusing.

2) Hoikuen or daycare / nursery are licensed childcare facilities for children 0 to 6 years old. If you search this term on YouTube, you'll find a cute video documenting what a day is like inside one. And yes, they do have a mealtime song. It's adorable. However, with more and more families needing childcare services, over-demand and under-supply of nurseries is currently a serious problem.

The nursery where Kimiko goes, the location at least, is based on an actual one. I did check if there were any with openings right now in Komagome, where they live in this fic, and nope, everything's full. So I checked the ones in nearby towns and found an opening in a private daycare in Ikebukuro, which is 3 stops away by train on the JR Yamanote line from Komagome.

3) You may think Ochaco's boss is an ass for not understanding why she has to leave early. And I kind of agree, but it's unfortunately a culture thing. Work culture in Japan expects an employee to show dedication by working long hours. Clocking in and out on time is frowned upon. Employees, especially young ones, are expected to arrive early and work late into the night, even without overtime pay. Before you leave, you're supposed to ask others first if there is anything else you can do for them. People work so long and so hard that the Japanese even have a word for '(a literal) death from overwork'. It's 'karoshi', and yes, it happens. The government is apparently trying to change this culture by enforcing laws to battle it, but well you know what they say about bad habits dying hard.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read. I hope you're enjoying the fic! :)

Next chapter, Deku joins the story!


	9. Chapter 8: Deku's Proposition

**Chapter 8: Deku's Proposition**

The following spring, after two more rounds of applications and fifteen months of waiting, Katsuki and Ochaco finally get a call from one of the privately-run nurseries in their neighborhood. A slot has opened up for Kimiko!

Ochaco almost chokes at the sixty thousand yen per month admittance fee, but this nursery is just a five-minute walk from their apartment, which certainly beats the tedious commute that they have had to endure for over a year. So she and Katsuki turn a blind eye to the cost and sign the papers.

Ochaco then phones her parents to apologize. She would have to reduce the amount that she has been sending them monthly, at least for the time being.

They understand. As a matter of fact, they tell her to stop sending them money altogether. She has her own family now; she should spend her money on them instead. But Ochaco refuses to listen. She had promised she'd support her parents when she becomes a hero, and she intends to make good on her word.

Katsuki is fine with it anyway. They had agreed from the beginning of their marriage that, their joint account aside, their own money is theirs to use as they want, so he doesn't poke his nose into any of her personal spending.

He makes a lot more than her, too. It has always been that way, but even more so now that there are a whole twenty places between them in the hero rankings. He had asked her if she wanted him to shoulder the full cost of Kimiko's new nursery, but her pride wouldn't let her agree to something like that, so she told him it was fine to keep sharing equally.

To be honest though, she really should have accepted his offer. Their expenses for Kimiko are growing by the month, and combined with her insistence to keep providing for her parents, Ochaco has been finding it increasingly challenging to manage her personal budget.

Inevitably, she regresses to her former habit of depriving herself.

Three years ago, Katsuki would have blown his top. But now, he doesn't even seem to notice. And really, how would he, when this past year, he has been fixated on nothing but the goddamn hero rankings?

He doesn't notice that it's been a while since Ochaco has treated herself to anything nice. He doesn't notice that she hasn't been going out at all, or that she hasn't paid her parents a visit for some time.

These days, he probably wouldn't notice even if she died in her sleep beside him. Does he even remember he has a wife?

Every day, he and Ochaco wake up, go to work separately, go home, do chores, alternate in taking care of Kimiko, and then they sleep. Only to repeat the same routine the next day.

They haven't gone out to do anything together in ages because Katsuki has given up his weekends for work, and even their bed has gone cold. He's always much too tired or else much too pissed at how his day went to be in the mood.

When he does find the time to speak to her, all he ever cares to discuss is Kimiko. It's nice to know that he loves their daughter, but Kimiko is not the only member of the family. Ochaco would very much appreciate it if her husband could spare one freaking minute in his busy schedule to also ask about her.

Is she all right? How's work going? Would she like to go out this weekend and eat something other than reheated curry for a change?

Is she still happy?

But no.

All Katsuki has been doing for the past year is obsess about the hero rankings and work himself to the bone trying to catch up to Deku at #5. He doesn't notice how Ochaco feels more and more neglected with each passing day.

* * *

Spring ends with Red Riot at #12, Bakugo and Shoto tied at #7, and Deku still at #5. Katsuki finds it unacceptable. He may have moved one rank up, but not only is he still behind fucking Deku, now even fucking Todoroki has caught up to him.

Meanwhile, Uravity has stayed unmoving at #28, and Ochaco is not happy. She begins to consider moving to another agency. Her career has been in a rut since her marriage almost four years ago, and it doesn't look like that's about to change any time soon, especially with the treatment she's been getting from her boss.

She's been passed over again today for another important mission. It's nothing new anymore. In fact she's lost count of how many times it has happened over the past year. Uravity apparently can't match the show of dedication by her colleagues, who seem to have nothing else in their lives aside from work. They should just live in the office, why don't they?

Ochaco is sitting at her workstation, feeling bitter and mentally running down a list of possible agencies to send an application to, when her phone suddenly vibrates with a call from Deku. Her eyebrows quirk. This is a surprise. Life has been so busy they haven't talked in a while. She steps out of the office and into the hallway as she picks up the call.

Deku asks her if she's free to meet, and she decides that she is. They schedule to meet at half past seven in the evening, at a playground near Kimiko's nursery.

When Ochaco arrives, pushing Kimiko in her stroller, Deku is already sitting by a bench near one of the slides. Half of his face is hidden by a mask like the one she and Katsuki always wear, but she would recognize that mop of green hair anywhere.

In her excitement, she calls out to him rather loudly and he starts. He spots her and presses a finger to his covered lips to tell her to keep it down. Ever since becoming #5, he's been a target of wild attention from both fans and haters, and it's been getting more and more difficult to keep a low profile even when he's off-duty.

Ochaco claps her hands to her mouth and looks around to see if anyone heard her, but it has gotten dark and there doesn't seem to be people nearby.

She parks Kimiko's stroller beside the bench where Deku is, sitting down beside him. She apologizes for dragging him all the way to her neighborhood, but she had to pick up her daughter.

Deku takes off his mask and grins. He tells her it's not a problem and that he's happy to finally meet Kimiko. He and Ochaco haven't had the chance to catch up since he returned to the country, and he has so far only seen her daughter in the pictures she occasionally posts on her private Twitter account.

Peeking into the stroller, he comments that Kimiko looks even more like Kacchan in person, though Kacchan's cheeks were never so chubby even as a child. Ochaco giggles at that, and then she asks him why he had asked to meet.

Deku being Deku, he doesn't get straight to the point. Instead, he asks her first how she is. How had her pregnancy been? What is it like with a toddler at home? How's Kacchan doing?

Ochaco being Ochaco, she smiles radiantly and exclaims that everything is perfect. Katsuki is wonderful. He sings Kimiko mealtime songs so she would finish her food. Kimiko knows how to say 'Papa' now, among many other things, much to Katsuki's delight. They're all very happy. She's happy.

But then Deku asks her if she's also still happy at work, and Ochaco feels her smile slip. He notices and immediately waves his hands around, nervously trying to explain that he hadn't meant to offend her. He just wants to know how she feels about her career right now, because it's related to what he's called her out to talk about.

She tilts her head curiously, and he begins to ramble.

He explains that he has a project in mind. It's still in the initial stages of planning, and he's not even sure if it's something he can do this early in his career, and even if he does, there's no guarantee it will be successful, but he's planning to leave his current employment and strike out on his own.

Ochaco is surprised. Deku's just 24. Most heroes don't start their own agencies until they're in their 30's at least and well-established in the industry.

But Deku's eyes are burning with resolve. He says he wants to go ahead and try anyway. He learned a lot while he was overseas, but right now, bureaucracy is limiting what he can do. If he's his own boss, then that wouldn't be a problem.

Now is the best time to do it, too. He had made a breakthrough by becoming #5 so young and managing to keep the rank despite the tough competition. All eyes are on him right now, and any venture he takes on would definitely be helped along by his popularity.

He's then quick to clarify with a flushed face that he's not trying to brag or anything, and Ochaco laughs because he hasn't changed at all. She tells him she's happy for him and that she's honored that he would share his plans with her. She encourages him to go for it.

Deku grins widely then and says that he isn't just sharing his plans, he's inviting her along.

He wants his agency to have equal focus on civilian rescue and villain capture. He'll have no problem heading the latter himself. Now, he wants to know if Ochaco would be willing to help him with the former.

She's stunned and struck speechless, and Deku immediately loses his confidence. He stammers out that he'll understand if she doesn't want to join him. After all, it's a risky venture, and a lot of it is riding on his abilities, which he's not sure about, and maybe all of this is a big mistake and he should just cancel everything.

Ochaco shakes her head to stop him. Of course she doesn't doubt Deku. If it's him, he can make it work. That's part of what makes him Deku.

But is he sure he wants her? She's #28. There are plenty of higher-ranking rescue heroes out there he can ask. Besides, she has a kid. Is he aware of how much that could interefere with work?

Deku tells her with absolute determination that he can't think of anyone better for the job than her. Then scratching the back of his head sheepishly, he admits that, also, her ranking is part of what had made him decide to ask her.

He knows she's excellent at her job, but he suspects that she's not being given the opportunity to shine. And he's sorry if it's too forward or too presumptuous of him but he wants to help, if he can.

Ochaco feels grateful tears streaming down her cheeks before she can stop them. Deku panics, but she takes his hands in hers and holds them firmly between them.

He really hasn't changed. He's still the same nerdy go-getting Deku from high school who wants to help everyone because he's just so goddamn nice.

Deku chuckles, embarrassed, then he teases her about how she's adopted Kacchan's language, and they laugh together like in old times.

They don't notice the camera that captures the moment from a distance.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

So, yeah. I read up on the challenges that new parents face, and apparently not having time for each other anymore is high on that list. Of course in Ochaco and Katsuki's case, it's much worse, because they're also facing pressure in their career, and Katsuki does have the tendency to have tunnel vision whenever there's something he wants.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you still like this fic!

Next chapter, what will happen to the picture of Deku and Ochaco that had been taken in secret?! ＼(º □ º l|l)/


	10. Chapter 9: An Insecure Bastard

**Chapter 9: An Insecure, Self-Centered, Second-Rate Bastard**

Ochaco and Kimiko get home that night later than usual, and by the time they do, Katsuki is already there.

They find him in the kitchen preparing dinner, and Ochaco, in a good mood from her conversation with Deku, decides to be sweet. She sits Kimiko down on her high chair and then goes to where Katsuki is cooking to wrap her arms around him from behind.

She doesn't know what kind of reaction she was expecting, since they haven't been romantic in a while, but it certainly takes her by surprise when his shoulders stiffen and he tells her to let go.

She does as she's told and she asks him what's wrong. He ignores her and instead serves Kimiko her food. With his back turned, he tells Ochaco in a low voice that they can talk later after their daughter has gone to bed.

She doesn't know what she's done, but he seems plenty mad, and she knows that insisting to talk about it now will just make it worse, so she keeps quiet and waits.

Dinner is a silent affair, with only Kimiko making occasional noises with her gibberish. Now a year and ten months old, she can eat by herself even if it's pretty messy, and Katsuki's job has changed from having to feed her to having to wipe her mouth from time to time and making sure she doesn't play with her food.

He usually talks to Kimiko when he does that, complaining to her as he would to an adult, but with cleaner language, that she's making a mess and that she should try harder to use her spoon properly.

But tonight he's quiet and cold, and not even a flicker of a smile graces his lips when Kimiko calls him 'Papa'.

Ochaco is positively alarmed. What could have happened to make Katsuki this mad?

She doesn't get her answer until a few more excruciating hours later. She waits in their bedroom as Katsuki puts Kimiko to sleep in the nursery. They've had her sleeping apart from them since she turned one, to get her used to being in her own room as she grows bigger.

When Katsuki finally comes in, Ochaco sits up on the bed, ready to talk. Instead, what she gets is Katsuki's phone thrown roughly at her. She barely manages to catch it before it hits her face.

She's affronted and ready to give him a piece of her mind, but she takes one look at his expression and the words fizzle out. She has never seen him this angry before, at least not at her.

He snarls at her to look at the phone and to fucking explain herself. Ochaco moves her gaze down from his face to the phone in her hands and is surprised to see a photo of herself and Deku taken from just a few hours ago when they were together at the playground.

The photo is dark and a little blurred. Obviously whoever had taken it had done so from afar and in hiding. But her crying face and Deku's nervous one are clear enough to be recognized, and so are the hands they have clasped together.

Ochaco's first reaction is to ask Katsuki where he had gotten the picture, and in retrospect, that wasn't the best idea. Sparks dance dangerously on his palms and the room seems to burn with his anger.

An anonymous source had posted the photo on a forum and it has since made rounds on the Internet. Katsuki is getting tagged on Twitter by numerous assholes asking him how he feels about Deku not only beating him in hero rankings but now even having an affair with his wife.

Ochaco tells Katsuki to calm down. It's not like that. Yes, she and Deku met, but they just talked. Kimiko was even there with them. Obviously, the person who had taken the picture and spread it around had conveniently omitted that part.

Katsuki doesn't calm down. Instead, he hisses questions at her as though he hadn't heard what she said.

What the fuck was she doing with that fucking nerd at a dark playground in the middle of the fucking night? What the fuck was she crying about in that picture, and why the fucking hell was she holding fucking Deku's hands?

His voice is low, to avoid waking their daughter up, but his shoulders are visibly shaking from the effort of containing his rage.

Ochaco doesn't understand. It's just a picture clearly taken out of context that has been circulated to start a nasty rumor. Katsuki doesn't actually believe this load of crap, right?

She's about to explain what she and Deku had really talked about. She's ready to laugh it off and tease him for being jealous over nothing. But he speaks before she does and it's the worst thing he could have said.

She used to like Deku, right? In high school? Has she got the hots for him again now that he's rich and famous and actually interested in her?

Ochaco bounds off the bed and has a palm flying toward Katsuki's cheek before she can think. But he catches her wrist before her hand connects. His reflexes have always been better than hers. He grips her wrist tightly. It's painful, and Ochaco tries to pull away, but he doesn't let go.

His eyes are dark and murderous, but so are hers. The bitterness that she has kept repressed over the past year rises to the surface all at once, and she spits at Katsuki that if she'd known he would never grow up from being an insecure, self-centered, second-rate bastard, then she really would have stuck with Deku instead.

She gasps in pain when she feels a spark pass over the wrist he's holding, but it's over in a moment, and the next thing she knows, her arm is being thrown aside with a force that knocks her back onto the bed.

She takes a quick glance at her wrist. It's an angry red, not quite singed, but like she had pressed her skin briefly against a hot surface.

Katsuki is still standing at the foot of the bed, but he seems smaller somehow, like he had deflated. Like an animal that had made itself look larger to be intimidating, only to shrink back to a pitiful size after it loses a fight.

And Ochaco realizes then that she'd gone too far.

She hurriedly scrambles off the bed to her feet, but he's out of the bedroom before she can reach him. She calls his name and asks him to wait, but he doesn't turn back, and soon she hears the click of a lock setting in place as the front door of their apartment closes behind him.

* * *

Tsuyu says something to her but Ochaco doesn't hear what it is. She's gazing at the lunch she hasn't eaten, not really seeing it. She has no appetite. She hasn't had one in five days.

That's how long Katsuki hasn't come home. He hasn't picked up her calls or replied to any of her messages either. But what's shaken Ochaco the most was when she had gone home on the third day of his absence to find clear signs of someone having been in the apartment while she was at work. And when she had opened the closet in their bedroom, a lot of Katsuki's clothes were missing.

She had broken down then, overcome with fear that Katsuki has left for good. She had sobbed in a heap on the bed until she heard Kimiko crying from the nursery and she had to pull herself together to attend to her daughter.

Ochaco had crossed a line. She had known what would hurt Katsuki the most and she had used that against him. It was unforgiveable.

She hadn't meant to do it, but her emotions had gotten the better of her. She has been unhappy for over a year, feeling unloved and neglected, then Katsuki had dared talk to her like that. He had dared accuse her of infidelity, when she has been nothing but devoted to their family, when every other thing in her life has had to take a backseat to being the mother of his child.

It was just too much for Ochaco to take sitting down.

Tsuyu whips out her tongue and gives Ochaco a mild slap across the face, effectively jolting her from her thoughts.

She apologizes for resorting to such violence but Ochaco has been out of it lately, and as a friend, she's worried. She asks if Ochaco wants to talk about what's on her mind, but she forces a smile and assures Tsuyu she's okay.

Tsuyu doesn't buy it. Without pulling any punches, she asks if it has something to do with the picture of Ochaco and Midoriya being passed around on social media. The tears that well in Ochaco's eyes at its mention are enough answer.

Tsuyu then asks gently if she wants to go somewhere more private to talk, and Ochaco finds herself nodding. Together, they walk out of the office cafeteria and down a crowded hallway until they arrive at the emergency exit stairwell. Tsuyu pushes the door open and ushers Ochaco inside.

As soon as the door closes and they are hidden to the world, Ochaco sinks down to the bottom step and lets her tears flow freely. Tsuyu sits beside her, patting her back quietly, waiting for her to open up.

Slowly, she does. She confides in Tsuyu about how wretched she has been feeling.

Katsuki works all the time, late into the night and even on weekends. Whatever time he manages to spend at home, he spends on Kimiko. He hasn't been sweet to Ochaco for over a year. In fact, he's always grumpy because of the stupid hero rankings.

Even as a pro hero, nobody seems to care about Uravity anymore. Their boss keeps passing her over for their 'more committed' colleagues, leaving her stuck at #28 without any hope of improvement. And now, to make it worse, she even has a scandal! She's being labeled all sorts of cruel things on the Internet because of a stupid picture taken out of context.

To top it all off, her husband has walked out on her. They had a fight, and she said something insensitive to him, and he left. He had taken his clothes while she's at work, and he hasn't come home in five days. What if he never comes back? What if he's left her for good?

Ochaco sobs harder, and Tsuyu embraces her anguished friend. She rubs Ochaco's back soothingly and softly reasons with her.

Bakugo won't do that. He's probably just off cooling his head. When he's ready, he'll come home, and they'll have a chance to talk things out.

Tsuyu feels Ochaco's hands clasp her tightly, almost desperately, her fingers digging into the stretchy fabric of Tsuyu's hero costume. Her voice is trembling when she speaks.

What if Katsuki never forgives her? What if he hates her now?

At that, Tsuyu places her hands on Ochaco's shoulders to gently push her away, so that she can look at her face properly. She runs a big gloved hand along Ochaco's cheeks to wipe her tears, telling her as she does to have more faith in her husband.

Bakugo would never hate Ochaco. He might hate everyone, but never her.

When he and Ochaco had started going out in high school, everyone in their class was nothing short of shocked. Nobody had imagined that King Explosion Murder would do something as cheesy as date someone, but he did, and it worked, and it was clear to everyone that he had become a much happier person because of it.

He had loved her enough to choose a difficult life with her than an easy one without, hadn't he? Surely, love like that won't disappear over a few misspoken words.

Tsuyu brushes away stray strands from Ochaco's forehead and strokes her hair with her fingers. It's soothing and Ochaco feels herself calming down, even if only a little bit.

Quietly, her voice breaking up in hiccups, she asks if Tsuyu really thinks Katsuki would come back home. Tsuyu pats her head and, with a reassuring smile, declares that she's positive.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

No long-ass A/N this time? I surprise myself. I posted this a bit late because even though I had finished writing this a couple of weeks ago, when I read through it again just before posting, I found a lot of things I wasn't satisfied with, specifically with the Tsuyu - Ochaco scene. I'm not good with feelings, lol. It's the feelings chapters that I find really difficult to write.


	11. Chapter 10: Tenacious As Fuck

Thanks for the reviews/ favorites / follows so far, guys! Really appreciate it! Keep 'em coming! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Tenacious As Fuck**

Kirishima steals a sidelong glance at Katsuki, who's sitting beside him on the bus with a vacant expression. They're on the way to his apartment; Katsuki has been crashing on his couch for over a week now.

Apparently, he and Ochaco had had a big fight and he left home. Katsuki had gone to his parents first, but his mother had kicked him out of the house after two days, telling him to work it out with his wife instead of sulking like a child.

But he wasn't ready. So he had come to Kirishima and grudgingly asked if he could stay at his place for a while, just until he's managed to clear his head enough to talk to Ochaco.

Of course, Kirishima being a bro, he had welcomed Katsuki into his home with open arms. But now he wonders if he should have done what his mother did and insisted on Katsuki going back home instead.

He obviously hasn't been sleeping well, or maybe at all. Kirishima had gotten up once at two in the morning to get a drink, and Katsuki was doing push-ups on the floor. He said he was trying to tire himself out, because otherwise he wouldn't be able to sleep on Kirishima's hard-ass couch.

Kirishima had known better than to take offense. He'd seen Katsuki like this before, only once, all those years ago when he and Ochaco had broken up, before she had that incident in the ocean. Katsuki had been coming to the office with bags under his eyes. He was the earliest to come in and the latest to leave, and Kirishima had seriously wondered if he had been trying to kill himself by overworking.

Now, he's been doing it again, and Kirishima has had to sit him down and tell him that he won't let him stay at his place anymore unless they go to work and go home at the same decent time. No more leaving the apartment as soon as the trains start running, or crashing in past midnight. Everyone knows he's strong, but he's only human. He's also got to rest.

So now, it's only half past seven on a Friday night, but they're already on their way back to the apartment. Katsuki is quiet. Maybe he's pissed that Kirishima has given him a curfew. Or maybe he just doesn't have the energy to talk anymore. They had been called to assist in two exhausting operations today, one involving the kidnapping of a toddler about Kimiko's age, and man, did that villain regret his life decisions when Bakugo got to him.

Kirishima can tell that Katsuki misses Ochaco and Kimiko, but even now at 25, Katsuki's ability to handle his emotions is rudimentary at best. He probably doesn't know how to talk to Ochaco, or how to go back after he's walked out on her like this.

He refuses to share the details of what he and Ochaco had fought about, so Kirishima is only left to guess, but it's easy enough to conclude that it's got to do with the scandal involving Midoriya. What Kirishima doesn't understand is why it's a big deal at all.

Kirishima has seen that picture. Well, everyone who doesn't live under a rock has seen it by now. And as incriminating as it looks, he's confident that it isn't what it appears. Ochaco wouldn't do something like that, and neither would Midoriya.

In fact, he has already given an official statement about the issue. In an ambush interview, Midoriya had strongly condemned the rumors surrounding the photo. His face had borne no trace of the usual smile he was beginning to be known for, and on the contrary had been solemn, almost angry.

Twitter had erupted with clips of that interview. Deku was perceived as a gentle, peace-loving hero. He had never shown the public that side of him before.

On the one hand, it effectively convinced some people that he and Uravity were innocent. On the other, skeptics pointed out that if he was going out on a limb to protect this woman, then maybe she did have a special relationship with him.

The media had clamored to also get Bakugo's statement, but he had flipped them all off and threatened to blast them to oblivion if they ever approached him again.

Which of course, led some people to speculate that the rumors about his wife must be true. But then again, people would believe what they wanted to believe.

When they get off the bus, Kirishima asks Katsuki if he'd like to grab dinner before going home, and Katsuki just shrugs. Unperturbed, Kirishima drags him off to his favorite yakitori place for some grilled meat and alcohol, a man's best companions on a lonely night.

* * *

Katsuki doesn't usually drink. He tries to keep his eating habits as clean as possible to keep himself in top shape. But beer goes well with the yakitori that he and Kirishima are having for dinner, so he allows himself to have a bottle. Or two. Maybe three.

Besides, it might help him sleep. He hasn't been able to get any real shut-eye since he left home. Every night, when it's quiet and all he can hear are his thoughts, the fight he had with Ochaco replays in his mind over and over again.

What was that she had called him? An insecure, self-centered, second-rate bastard.

He can't forget her eyes when she had said that either. She had looked at him like she hated him, like she regretted being with him.

Hadn't she said something to that effect? If she'd known what he'd turn out to be, she would have stuck with Deku instead.

That had hurt. He had felt his anger fizzle out at those words and become replaced with… well, with all other negative emotions that his body was apparently capable of feeling.

He hadn't known how to process all that, so he walked away.

Ochaco's bound to have left him plenty of messages since then, but he's left his phone at the bottom of the gym bag that he'd used to haul some of his clothes to Kirishima's apartment. He doesn't want to see her messages, and he doesn't want to be tempted to pick up her calls.

He's not ready. He wouldn't know what to say.

To be honest, Katsuki wants to make up with Ochaco and go home now. He misses her. Their daughter, too. But how can he even think of showing his face to them after what happened?

He had implied that he doubted Ochaco's faithfulness, thrown revolting words at her in accusation, and then when she had rightfully gotten angry and fought back, he had hurt her.

He had recognized the look of pain that had flashed across her face when he gripped her wrist. He hadn't missed the gasp she had let out when he inadvertently activated his Quirk in the throes of emotion.

How can he come back to his family after that? It was shameful and disgustingly low. And all because of what? His stupid rivalry with fucking Deku?

At the back of his mind, he had known that that picture was a steaming pile of shit. Ochaco is one of the most decent people Katsuki knows, and she would never go behind his back to do something so low like cheat on him with his rival.

But the tweets that had accompanied that picture had struck a nerve.

How does (a)ExplosionHero_Bakugo feel about (a)Deku not only beating him in hero rankings, but also having an affair with his wife?

The country is moving on from (a)ExplosionHero_Bakugo to the next candidate most likely to be the future top hero; maybe his wife is doing the same.

Ouch, (a)ExplosionHero_Bakugo is sidelined again by (a)Deku. That must hurt.

It did. It did hurt, and Katsuki had lost himself to his irrational anger.

So now he's here, self-exiled from his home and trying to drown his sorrows with alcohol like the fucking basic extra that he has become.

* * *

Oh, boy. Taking Katsuki drinking wasn't such a good idea after all.

Kirishima had forgotten that Katsuki has the alcohol tolerance of a child. It's something you build with experience after all, and Katsuki drinks like, what, twice a year?

The yakitori place is about to close so they need to go. He taps Katsuki on the shoulder to wake him up, but he doesn't, so Kirishima sighs heavily and accepts his fate. He puts one of Katsuki's arms around his shoulders and hooks one of his own around Katsuki's waist so he can lift him up from the chair and support him as they wobble out of the restaurant and into the street.

Kirishima is quite tipsy himself. Good thing his apartment is just a couple of blocks away because Katsuki is heavy as hell and he doesn't think he can support both of their drunken asses for long.

They make slow progress. By the time they reach the second intersection, Katsuki seems to rouse and begins mumbling that he wants to go home.

Kirishima tells him they're almost there, but Katsuki clumsily pushes away from him, stumbling back to fall on his butt on the road, and says he wants to go home to Ochaco and Kimiko.

Kirishima gets down on his haunches beside Katsuki and asks if he should take him there. Katsuki nods and lets himself be helped up again.

Then Kirishima remembers that it's past midnight. The trains and buses have stopped running, and taking a taxi to Katsuki's house two wards away and then back would be tantamount to highway robbery.

So he continues hauling Katsuki across the intersection toward his own apartment. He can go home tomorrow, when he's sober. Katsuki protests angrily, but Kirishima ignores him. No need to be scared if Katsuki can't even walk straight by himself.

When they get to the apartment, Kirishima drops Katsuki unceremoniously onto the couch. He's preparing to retire to his own bed at the other end of the apartment when Katsuki calls his name.

This time he doesn't sound drunk. He sounds sad.

That's his cue; Katsuki's ready to open up. Kirishima returns to the couch and plops down beside his friend, ready to listen.

Leaning his head onto the back of the couch, Katsuki looks up at the ceiling and exhales heavily. When he speaks, his tone is somber and tired, and there is no trace of the angry boy in there.

He asks Kirishima if he thinks he had been stupid to believe he could pull off this whole marriage thing, this whole family thing, alongside his career.

He's always working late, and he's always irritable, and now that he thinks back on the past year, he realizes that he hasn't been giving his family as much of his time or his attention as they deserve. He can't even remember the last time he as much as asked Ochaco about her day.

But now that he's fallen behind Deku in the rankings, how can he just turn around and stop?

He's afraid that if he makes even a single mistake, if he takes even just a little break, then he would be left behind for good, and he'll wake up to find himself stuck in the shadow of his rivals.

Ochaco doesn't deserve to be an afterthought, and neither does Kimiko. But it's a struggle that will never end.

Even if he manages to beat Deku in the rankings this month, there will be next month to worry about. And in the future, even if he does manage to make it to the top, he'll have to continue working hard to keep himself there.

He'll never have the chance to be complacent and pause and take a step back to be the man his family deserves.

Maybe he really had been naïve when he thought he could manage to have both a life with Ochaco and a life chasing his dreams. Maybe it's impossible. Maybe he really has to choose just one.

Kirishima's voice is rigid when he replies.

So what now, will Katsuki leave his wife and daughter? Because life's just too hard?

Katsuki doesn't want to do that. He doesn't think he can anyway.

Will he give up on being the top hero then?

Hell no, of course not. It's been his dream ever since he could dream.

Then, what?

Katsuki doesn't know. He doesn't know how to move forward from this point.

Kirishima hardens his hand with his Quirk and delivers a quick chop to Katsuki's forehead.

Katsuki howls and clutches his head, glaring at Kirishima. What the fucking hell was that for?

Kirishima tells him he was just checking if he was for real. Because the Katsuki he knows is brave and reckless and always believes he can win, even when the odds are against him.

Wallowing in uncertainty like this, this isn't like Katsuki at all.

Katsuki had known from the start that getting married so young would set him back. He had known that the path ahead of him would be difficult, but he had taken it anyway, because that's the kind of person he is.

He's tenacious as fuck. He goes after what he wants, and even if he stumbles or falls behind, he'll press on like the stubborn bastard that he is, never for a second doubting that in the end, he'll succeed.

Letting doubts dampen his resolve, letting his confidence slip over some shitty setback, what is this? The real Katsuki wouldn't be letting this happen.

Katsuki just sits quietly, looking at the hands he has allowed to fall on his lap, then after a short eternity, his brow knits again and his usual scowl returns.

It's a hard life, but he should continue believing he can make it. That's it? That's Kirishima's advice? It fucking sucks!

Kirishima shrugs and tells him it's not advice, just a reminder.

Katsuki loves Ochaco, doesn't he? Then even if this life is hard, he should man up and bear it. Isn't that why he hadn't had qualms to go down this route in the first place?

At that, Kirishima leaps to his feet, stretching and yawning widely, and makes his way to the bed at the opposite end of the apartment. He sheds his clothes and crawls under the covers.

He almost misses the quiet, grudging thanks that Katsuki grunts over by the couch.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

THE 'AT' SIGN WON'T APPEAR, UGH.

This has been one of the most challenging chapters to write. I had a hard time imagining how Katsuki would talk about feelings of inadequacy, and harder still imagining what kind of advice Kirishima, who's 25 and single, could possibly give.

To be honest, there is no solution to Katsuki's problem. He's right in that the struggle with finding a balance between family and career will always be there, and it's always going to be hard.

If he wants it easy, he can give up one for the other. If he wants to have both, then he has to man up and keep trying hard to make things work, no matter how much he stumbles along the way. And if it's Katsuki, certainly, he can do it, because he's not the kind of guy who gives up over a setback, and he's definitely not the kind of guy who does things half-assed.

That's the message that I wanted Kirishima to impart. It's far from sagely advice, but it's practical and it shows how much he believes in his bro. I hope I was able to make that clear in their conversation, which honestly took so many rewrites I've lost count.

As always, thank you for reading!

Next chapter, will Katsuki finally go back home?


	12. Chapter 11: An Obvious Suggestion

**Chapter 11: An Obvious Suggestion**

By the tenth day of Katsuki's absence, Ochaco has gotten used to it.

She's not happy, of course. She misses him and wishes he'd come home soon, but she has become able to go through her daily routines without feeling sorry for herself every ten minutes.

Confiding in Tsuyu had been great help, and Ochaco wishes she had done it sooner. Finally airing out all her grievances to someone after almost a year of just keeping it to herself has made her chest feel a little lighter somehow.

Deku debunking the rumor publicly had also helped a lot. The online abuse directed at Ochaco has substantially decreased, and now it's just the handful of haters who wouldn't be convinced no matter what.

Deku had sent her a very long apology via text. He was ashamed at the turn of events, especially with how his fans had reacted. But he also told her that what they had talked about at the playground still stands, that is, if she still wants to work with him after what happened.

Ochaco had replied that she would give her answer once she has talked to Katsuki about the matter in detail. She deliberately neglected to share that he has left home. Deku doesn't need that weighing on his conscience, especially since he's not the one at fault.

Her parents have also called, concerned for her well-being after the scandal erupted, and to them, Ochaco admitted having fought with Katsuki. But she didn't tell them the extent of it either. Her parents don't need the stress of having to worry about her marriage breaking down.

Not that it's breaking down. It definitely is not.

Now that Ochaco has had some time to collect her thoughts and reflect, she has come to the same conclusion as Tsuyu. Her marriage is stronger than this. It should be.

If Katsuki needs his time to think, that's fine. He can take all the time he needs. She'll be patient and wait until he's ready to talk. Then they'll work it out.

That's what she had told him in the final text she had allowed herself to send a few days ago. He hadn't replied. Regardless, she has resisted any urge to contact him again. It's been hard, but it's for the best. It wouldn't do to put any more pressure on Katsuki when he's trying to deal with his emotions.

Today is a Saturday, so Ochaco doesn't have work. She plans to take Kimiko out for a little stroll at the nearby garden. It's the peak of summer, and it's guaranteed to be a hot and humid day, but if she stays cooped up indoors, she's afraid she'll be sucked back into a black hole of negativity. She doesn't need that right now.

So she wears one of her fancier outfits, puts on a bit of makeup to look presentable, and dresses Kimiko up in the cutest clothes she owns. They're both in the kitchen, Kimiko in her stroller, and Ochaco by the table going through the contents of their bag one last time, when she hears the lock on their front door click open.

Immediately, her fingertips are on the dining table and it's floating above her head, ready to be used as a weapon. But it's Katsuki who appears by the kitchen entrance.

His eyes flicker to the floating table. Ochaco guides it down to the floor before releasing her Quirk, and she explains to Katsuki that she had panicked because she had heard the door open when she wasn't expecting anyone. She certainly hadn't been expecting him.

There's an awkward silence for a moment, in which Katsuki frowns uncertainly at the floor and Ochaco twiddles her thumbs, then he lifts his eyes to hers and asks bluntly if he's still welcome in the house.

Ochaco's reaction is to run up to him and wrap her arms around him in a giant embrace. Of course! Of course he's welcome! She's been waiting for him to come home all this time.

He breathes in deeply in relief and slides his arms around her waist, his hands closing at her back. She's about tall enough that her face presses into his chest as they hug, and he can rest his chin comfortably over the top of her head. He does so, but not before giving her crown a soft peck.

When he woke up this morning, his stomach had been churning from a hangover, but he had remembered his conversation with Kirishima clearly.

That well-meaning bastard was right. He needs to pull his head out of his ass and get back on track. He's Bakugo Katsuki, for fuck's sake! He would have his happy life with Ochaco and also be top hero. Fuck the hard road, he can take whatever it can give.

But first he has to make sure that he still had a family to go back to, so he had showered off his nausea, pulled on his hoodie and face mask, and left for home.

And now here he is, reunited with his wife. His daughter is there in the background, snoozing in her stroller. He hugs Ochaco tighter, and they stay like this for a while, taking comfort in each other's presence.

Ochaco had promised herself she wouldn't get too emotional when this moment comes, but tears well up in her eyes anyway. How can she hold them back when Katsuki is finally home? He's holding her close, his scent is invading her senses, and he's gentle and loving, so unlike how he had been the last time they were together.

He hears her sniffling and he pulls away to peek at her face. Ochaco grabs onto his elbows to stop him from removing himself from the embrace completely. She tells him not to worry, it's just that she's missed him and she's relieved he's decided to come home.

She dabs at her tears with her knuckles, and she begins to explain the picture with Deku, but Katsuki stops her, placing a hand on the back of her head and gently pushing her back onto his chest.

She's got nothing to explain, he tells her. She's done nothing wrong. It's him who should apologize because he had acted like a huge asshole and hurt her over something that he would have known was garbage if he had only stopped for a moment to clear his head.

He had let his injured pride dictate his actions. He knows he does that a lot. He's sorry, he'll try not to do it anymore. Well, at least not to her. He doesn't really give a shit about other people.

She couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle at that, and he presses another kiss on the top of her head. She lifts her face from his chest so he could kiss her lips instead, and he does.

It's affectionate and sweet and she sighs in contentment as they part. She tells him she's not mad at him anymore, and that she also has a lot to apologize for.

She had called him some terrible things. He smiles dryly and says she doesn't have to take them back. They both know it's true.

Ochaco protests wildly.

No, it's not true! He's definitely not second-rate. She'd just said that because she was really mad, but she absolutely hadn't meant it. Katsuki is the best, and for her, Katsuki will always be the best, no matter what the shitty rankings say.

He snorts, but she can tell he's not angry. In fact, a small smirk is flickering on his lips, and there's a hint of amusement playing in his red eyes as he asks her about the other words she'd said.

Insecure and self-centered, she had called him. Are those not true either?

She stutters out an attempt at denial, but it sucks so badly that Katsuki is reduced to snickers. She pouts at him and crosses her arms over her chest.

Well, fine, she has to concede. It's true that he can be insecure and self-centered sometimes, a lot of times, but it's not like it's a dealbreaker or anything. She loves him anyway.

Still grinning wickedly, he leans down to give her another kiss. Then as they part, he pops another question, a bit more seriously this time. That part about choosing Deku instead, she hadn't meant that either, had she?

And Ochaco feels her face flush in embarrassment.

Of course she hadn't meant that! She may have liked Deku before, but he's just a friend now. It's been that way for a long time, so really, Katsuki should try to forget she had even said something so embarrassing at all. She loves Katsuki and only Katsuki.

He asks her if she's sure, but his tone is teasing, and he's smirking smugly at her. He just wants to hear her say it again. What a big bully!

But she humors him, repeating earnestly that her heart belongs to Katsuki and only him, and he rewards her with another kiss, longer this time, and he murmurs against her lips that he loves her too.

There's a lot they still need to resolve, but for now, they're satisfied to just stay like this, enveloped in each other's warmth. They can discuss the serious stuff later, after they've gotten their fill of this wonderful, intoxicating feeling that neither of them had realized until now just how much they've missed.

Katsuki then takes in the outfit Ochaco has on and he registers for the first time since he entered the door that she's a little more dressed up than usual. He asks her why, and she tells him she'd been planning to spend the day out with Kimiko.

His gaze then drifts to their daughter, still asleep in her stroller and unaware of her parents' loving reunion just a few paces away, and he sees that she's also in one of her adorable fluffy dresses.

Katsuki asks if he can come along on their date, and Ochaco is enthusiastic at the idea. A family day, it's been so long since they've had one! She's already rattling off places they could visit and activities they could do when Katsuki interrupts her with another kiss.

Kimiko's still asleep, he whispers close to her ear. Maybe this outing can wait until a little later?

Ochaco goes red at the obvious suggestion. But she mumbles her agreement, and she squeals happily when he picks her up and carries her to their bedroom.

* * *

She waits two more weeks before she tells Katsuki about Deku's proposition.

After things have finally settled down and they're more or less back to normal, though certainly sweeter and happier than they have been for the past year, she sets about looking for an opportunity to discuss it with him.

He isn't jealous of Deku, she's already made it clear where her heart lies. And even when it comes to the hero rankings, Katsuki has been making great effort to tone down his fixation, so these days he's home more often and he's in a lot better mood. But Deku is still his rival, and Katsuki still tends to be prickly when he's brought up.

So Ochaco is careful to wait for perfect timing. She finds it one night, when Kimiko goes to sleep a little earlier, and she and Katsuki are left with a little more time to burn before they themselves had to go to bed.

Katsuki is perched on the bed against a pile of pillows, fresh from a nice, warm bath, idly skimming through the pages of a book on parenting. He's had that book since Kimiko was born but he's only picked it up again lately.

Ochaco gets into bed and scoots until she's right beside Katsuki and she's close enough to read the pages of his book. He peers curiously at her, and she smiles sweetly, her eyes round and innocent. He knows that look. He closes his book and asks her blandly what she wants.

She takes a deep breath, and then she begins by sharing how frustrated she is that her career has become stagnant over the past four years. She tells him she's thinking of moving to another agency, and Katsuki immediately grunts his approval.

He's never quite forgiven that particular superior of hers who had led the search and rescue mission when she was lost in the ocean all those years ago. He agrees that she deserves to be with a better team.

Ochaco encourages the thought. Right, the team right now is not very good, so she should totally move. And she's found another agency willing to take her in actually, and the offer is wonderful.

She'll lead the rescue division, so she'll have bigger responsibilities, which would be great for her hero ranking. But she'll also be allowed a more flexible schedule so she can better balance work and parenting.

Katsuki nods pensively. He agrees it sounds great. But then he frowns and narrows his eyes suspiciously. There's a catch, right? Otherwise she wouldn't be acting so jumpy trying to sell the idea to him.

Ochaco laughs nervously.

Biting her lower lip and looking abashed, she finally tells him that it's Deku who's offering her the job. That's what they had talked about that night when their picture was taken. That's why she had been crying and holding his hands. Because she was grateful that he would extend her such an opportunity.

Katsuki responds with silence. She watches his face carefully for any sign of anger, but aside from a thoughtful frown and a slight hardness to his jaw, he seems fine. She waits anxiously for him to speak.

To be honest, Ochaco desperately wants to take the offer, but she knows that it's a sensitive matter, especially after everything that has happened. She's decided to at least try talking Katsuki into the idea, but she's also already prepared her heart to accept a rejection.

It would be upsetting, definitely, but she would take that over another fight with Katsuki. Things are going so well between them now; she doesn't want to ruin that.

Katsuki draws a deep breath. So, fucking Deku is planning to start his own agency. He's only just turned 25, what an ambitious asshole.

Ochaco stays silent, still waiting. Her breath has stilled, and she can hear her pulse pounding in her ears.

Katsuki clicks his tongue impatiently. If Ochaco joins fucking Deku's agency, he can't wholeheartedly wish for it to fail. On the contrary, he'll have to support it somehow. Just thinking about it brings an unpleasant taste to his mouth.

Oh, right. She lets her gaze drop to her lap.

Well, it's not like she hadn't expected this. In fact maybe she should be thankful that Katsuki is reacting so calmly. A month ago, he would have exploded just at the mention of Deku's name.

She sighs and begins to tell him she understands. There are plenty of other hero agencies anyway, she'll just find another one. It's not a big deal.

But he tips her chin up with his fingers so she would look at him again. She should take Deku's offer, he tells her.

It sounds like a complaint more than anything and his forehead is creased in an intense scowl. But he's okay with it? That's what he said, right? Is he sure? Is he messing with her?

He growls. How the fuck did that sound like a joke? And she sputters incoherently because she doesn't know how to react. He said he's okay with it, and he said he's not kidding. Oh gods!

Bristling, he tells her to calm the fuck down. The tips of his ears are red and his eyes avoid hers as he grumbles an explanation.

He and fucking Deku are rivals, and he still hasn't forgiven the fact that Deku has pulled ahead of him in the rankings, but he also understands that it would be unfair to hinder the growth of Ochaco's career because of something stupid like that.

Katsuki doesn't want to be putting his pride before her welfare again like he had last time. This time, Ochaco comes first.

She gapes at him, and he snarls at her to close her fucking mouth and stop staring like he's some freak show.

She laughs happily and jumps him, pressing wet kisses all over his face and gushing about how much of an adult he's become in just the span of a month. Katsuki tries to push her off, annoyed with her teasing, but she holds on tightly and he's forced to let her continue lavishing him with affection.

When she pulls away, her eyes are bright and she positively glows with so much joy that Katsuki can't help smiling himself. If it makes her this happy, then he'll be supportive.

But that asshole Deku better make sure he gives Ochaco's career the boost it needs. Or else Katsuki will have acted like a decent person for nothing, and there'll be hell to pay for that fucking nerd.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I have nothing much to say right now, except that mature!Katsuki is my kink and I hope the couple's reunion is to your satisfaction. XD

Next chapter, the grand opening of Deku's hero agency!


	13. Chapter 12: Nothing To Be Upset About

Warning: This chapter contains a couple of (very minor) spoilers on events in the manga.

Thank you so much to my handful of reviewers. You warm my heart with each comment and I can't express how grateful I am :)

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Nothing To Be Upset About**

As expected, the news that pro hero Deku is going to start an agency so early in his career becomes the highest trending news of the year to date.

Deku builds his small office in one of the less expensive buildings in a commercial district in the Minato ward. 'Less expensive' it may be, but in an area as upscale as the one he's chosen, that still means rent at several hundred thousand yen per month, even for the tiny space they require.

Ochaco is at first surprised that Deku would have that kind of money to use as capital for his agency, but then she remembers that he has been standing at #5 in the rankings for over a year now.

Katsuki already makes quite a lot at #7, and Ochaco knows for a fact that there is still a substantial gap between his salary and the person one rank above him. She can't imagine just how much Deku must be getting at #5.

Moreover, Deku is a bachelor with only himself to support. He has no kids, no wife, not even a girlfriend as far as they know. His parents are also self-sufficient, owing to the sizable savings that his father had amassed from the long time he spent working abroad.

Money is definitely not a problem for Deku, and in no time at all, his office is standing complete on the fifth floor of a building smack dab in the middle of a thriving commercial district.

A few weeks before his agency is set to formally start operations, Deku makes the announcement that Uravity will be leading his rescue team.

They had deliberately postponed breaking the news to allow the public more time to get over the scandal that had erupted earlier in the year. But of course, people don't forget juicy gossip like that easily, and speculations are quick to arise again regarding the true nature of the relationship between Deku and Uravity.

They're plenty prepared for it this time, however.

The business manager Deku has hired for the agency helps arrange an exclusive interview with reporters from Nippon Hero Kyokai, Japan's largest hero news broadcasting organization. Deku and Uravity are able to reveal the truth behind the notorious photo before rumors get out of hand again.

Bakugo, still trying to make up for how he had walked out on his family, reluctantly helps them along and accommodates an interview for Ochaco's benefit. When asked if Uravity had his permission to work for Deku, he bristles angrily that his wife is a capable woman with a mind of her own. She's free to make decisions for herself, and he has no issues supporting her through them all.

Their combined statements effectively quell any further attempt at reviving the scandal, and the very first branch of Deku's hero agency launches successfully with the first snowfall of the following winter.

* * *

The elevator dings as they arrive on the fifth floor of the office building. It opens to reveal double glass doors bearing the obnoxious signage of Deku's pro hero agency.

Katsuki scoffs and rolls his eyes, then his hand darts out quickly to grab Kimiko by the back of her little coat before she can run out of the elevator on her own.

At two years and four months, she's become nimble on her feet. So nimble, in fact, that looking after her has become much more challenging these days. If Katsuki so much as glances down at his phone for a literal second, she's sure to go off and do something dangerous, like climb the shelf in her nursery or poke her finger into an electric outlet.

The other day he had caught her trying to do just that and he had banged his shin hard on the coffee table in his haste to get to her. Ochaco had worriedly asked if he'd gotten the angry bruise on his leg during a mission, only to bite her lip trying not to laugh when he told her what had actually happened.

Not willing to take any chances now that they're on unfamilar ground, Katsuki picks Kimiko up in his arms and keeps her close. He exits the elevator and, throwing one last dark look at the offending signage of Deku's office, he pushes the glass doors open and enters.

The office is moderate in size. To one side of the reception area are three narrow doors leading to the locker rooms and what Katsuki assumes is the pantry. To the other is the office proper. Ten individual workstations take up half of that space and a private meeting room occupies the rest.

The thick tinted glass of the meeting room are the same shade of green as Deku's hero costume. So are the acrilyc panels that separate the workstations from one another and the fabric of the chairs parked at each of them.

Disgusting.

Kimiko giggles at the face he makes, clapping her tiny hands in glee, and Katsuki smiles. That's his girl, always supportive of her Papa.

The office is littered with camera equipment for the interview later. The agency is officially launching today, and that fucker Deku has invited the media as well as some friends over for a small gathering to celebrate.

Of course, Katsuki didn't come here for him. He would never take precious time off his packed schedule for that shithead. He and Kimiko have come to show support for Ochaco. It's an important day for her too, so Katsuki is here even though he would rather be burning an effigy of fucking Deku than toast to his success.

The place is already packed with people, most of them Katsuki knows or at least recognizes. They spill from the meeting room, where he supposes the short program will be happening. He makes his way there and pokes his head inside.

The conference table that should be in the middle of the room has been pushed to the back to make space, decked with food and drink for the guests. At its center is a cake with congratulatory message in frosting and a giant topper resembling Deku in his hero costume.

Katsuki balks in disgust and begins to regret coming. What the hell was he thinking? This is a celebration of a milestone in his shitty rival's career. It's bound to be fucking terrible.

But then Ochaco spots him and Kimiko by the door. She comes over, a big stupid happy grin on her face, and Katsuki remembers why he's allowing himself to be subjected to this torture.

She thanks him for coming and he grumbles that this better be worth it. She smiles and stands on her tiptoes to brush her lips on his cheek very quickly. So quickly Katsuki is not sure if he'd imagined it, but her own cheeks are pinker than usual so he figures he hadn't.

Katsuki quirks an eyebrow. He's not the type to care much about propriety, but she is. Their wedding aside, he can't remember if she's ever kissed him in public before, even on the cheek. Guess him coming here really is that much of a big deal to her.

Kimiko reaches out with her chubby little arms to her mother, but Katsuki sternly tells her to stay put and behave. Mama is busy. Kimiko's face crumples, a sure sign of a tantrum brewing.

Thankfully, a distraction comes in the form of Asui, who approaches them at just the right time. She starts using her camouflage technique to play the most advanced level of peek-a-boo that Katsuki has ever seen. Kimiko immediately forgets her tantrum. Her face lights up, red eyes wide in amazement.

Asui offers to take Kimiko off Katsuki's hands for a bit so he can eat and mingle. He hestitates, not having any desire to do either of those things anyway, but Kimiko is already trying to push herself off his arms to go with the disappearing frog lady.

He doesn't let go, and Kimiko scowls at him, lower lip jutting out in defiance. It makes her look like a replica of Katsuki in miniature, and he feels all the more reluctant to part with her.

Ochaco places a gentle hand on his tense forearm and assures him that Kimiko will be all right. Tsuyu won't steal their daughter and she's great with kids. Besides, doesn't he want to meet Ochaco's new sidekicks?

She smiles expectantly up at him and he relents. Grumbling at Asui to keep a close eye on Kimiko because she's a rascal, Katsuki finally hands his daughter over, and then lets himself be whisked off further into the room by a giddy Ochaco.

* * *

Deku spots Kacchan brooding beside Ochaco as she chats with the young pro heroes that she will be leading in the rescue team. He nods from time to time to feign attention, but Deku can see his eyes flitting to where their former UA classmates have gathered around Kimiko.

Todoroki is making his fingers light up like candles to entertain her, and Deku sees Kacchan grind his teeth, enraged that his daughter is being exposed to danger. He looks about ready to charge, but Ochaco's hand shoots out and grabs his sleeve before he can stomp away. She gives him a pointed look. Kacchan scowls and stays put.

Deku chuckles to himself. If someone had told him about this ten years ago, he never would have believed a word of it. Kacchan is coarse and selfish and only thinks about winning. It didn't seem likely that there would be any space in his life for a wife and a kid, but surprisingly, he cuts quite the figure of a family man.

There had been a time when Deku could have had that life, too. Well, maybe that's taking it a bit too far, but certainly in high school, there was a point when his friendship with Ochaco had seemed to be going an entirely different direction.

They never really dated. A confession never even happened. Deku could tell though, even if he couldn't believe it at the time, that Ochaco had feelings for him. And he returned them, or he thinks he did; he can't really be sure now. Regardless, for a while it had seemed like they were going on a slow but steady route to an inevitable romance.

Then out of the blue, he had heard gossip that Ochaco and Kacchan had gone on a date. He hadn't believed it, of course. Kacchan on a date with a girl? That was a picture he couldn't imagine. But it turned out that there was no need for him to imagine anything, because he eventually saw much more with his own eyes.

On a night Deku had come back to Heights Alliance a little later than usual, he caught Katsuki and Ochaco in the empty common area sharing an intimate embrace.

They jumped away from each other the moment he walked in, and Ochaco was quick to escape into the elevator leading up to the girls' rooms, her face glowing red, but Kacchan had become petrified to the spot, and so had Deku.

They stared at each other for what had to be the longest, most awkward several seconds in both their lives. Then Kacchan scowled fiercely, the tips of his ears obviously red even in the dim light, and he grumpily snapped that he didn't give a shit what Deku thought, but since Ochaco might, he was going to clear it up with him.

He and Ochaco hadn't been doing anything inappropriate. What Deku had seen was them hugging each other good night before they went up their separate elevators. It was a completely clean and innocent gesture of affection, so Deku better shelve whatever perverted scenario he had imagined and never bring it up again unless he had a death wish.

Then Kacchan stalked off before Deku could react, stomping up the stairs to the fourth floor instead of taking the elevator with him.

It took a while before Deku moved from where he stood.

It was true, he had realized then. Kacchan and Ochaco were dating. Deku had been so focused on his training to become a worthy successor to All Might that he hadn't even realized that Ochaco's feelings had shifted to someone else.

He was more shocked than upset though, to be honest. He had never really had a chance to properly reflect on what he thought he was feeling for Ochaco, so he couldn't feel any profound sense of loss now that he knew she had moved on.

Maybe it was for the best. If he couldn't even take the time to sort out what he felt for her, then he would just be doing her a disservice by letting whatever unspoken thing they had continue.

Besides, that look on Kacchan's face just now as he tried to… what had he been trying to do anyway? Defend Ochaco's honor? Despite himself, Deku felt a grin forming on his face.

Coarse, selfish, belligerent Kacchan was dating a girl. He was in love. Who knew such amazing things could happen in the world?

And at that time Deku had found himself thinking that if Kacchan was happy and if he made Ochaco happy in return, then there was nothing at all for him to be upset about.

A voice politely calling his name from behind tears Deku's eyes away from Kacchan and brings his mind back to the present. His business manager is reminding him that it's time for his welcome remarks, and Deku feels his stomach turn a few flips. He has mastered smiling through tough situations in All Might fashion, but public speaking still makes him a tad nervous.

He puffs a big breath through his mouth to compose his nerves, and situates himself at the very front of the room where the media has gathered to film him. Looking around, he thanks everyone for coming to celebrate this important milestone in his career as a pro hero, then he launches into a speech about his vision for the future of hero society and how he hopes his agency would contribute to it.

When he finishes, the crowd erupts into enthusiastic applause, except for Kacchan who's making a face over by the corner. He's holding Kimiko in his arms again.

Their eyes meet, and Deku flashes him a grin, to which Kacchan responds with the dirty finger. Ochaco catches him doing it and slaps his hand away. Kimiko shrieks with laughter at her parents' antics, and Deku finds his thoughts going back to that night many years ago.

Coarse, selfish, belligerent Kacchan is a husband and a father. Who'd have known such amazing things could happen in the world?

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I used to be IzuOcha. Well, I was never as obsessed with them as I am now with Kacchako, I just kind of thought they were okay. But now I'm 10000% Kacchako and even though I know it's unlikely, I'm still holding on to the hope that they will eventually become canon. Horikoshi is an excellent writer, so I'm not going to give up on the hope that he'll surprise as all and subvert the 'leading lady who waits' trope and make Ochaco move on instead, hopefully to Katsuki. What I wrote here in this chapter is my own little headcanon of how Deku would take it. I do honestly think he won't be angsty about it and will be quite supportive, since Kacchan is important to him and all.

A few notes for people who don't read the manga:

1) Froppy, or Asui Tsuyu, develops a new technique in the Hero License Exam arc. She's now able to camouflage herself.

2) Heights Alliance is the UA dormitories where everyone moves into after the School Trip arc.

Okay, let's move on to the research:

1) Man, offices are expensive. Deku's office space that I wrote here is based on an actual one I saw listed online. It's 311,000+ yen for a mere 20.24 tsubo or roughly 67 sqm. It's in an older building but in Akasaka, an upmarket commercial district with plenty of entertainment places, but also embassies, international hotels, and the home offices of plenty of companies. I chose Akasaka because from what I imagine their salaries are like, this place provides comfortable balance between Deku's budget and good location.

2) Nippon Hero Kyokai is a parody of NHK, Japan's national public broadcasting organization. Of course in real life, NHK stands for Nippon Hoso Kyokai instead, which literally means Japan Broadcasting Corporation. They're also available internationally, through NHK World, so you might actually have them on your TV.

3) If you're wondering what the big deal is about Ochaco kissing Katsuki on the freakin' cheek, haha, it's because PDA is so frowned upon in Japan that the farthest most people do in public is just hold hands, and even that could get you some looks apparently if you did it outside the big cities. I first came across this fact when I used to follow a couple- an American wife and a Japanese husband- on YouTube. One time the wife was upset because they were in a long-distance relationship, but her husband wouldn't even kiss her goodbye at the airport even though it would be another several months before they were to see each other again. I saw that video several years ago and it made such an impact on me that I've never forgotten it. I read up some more on the topic for this fic, and yeah, turns out even having your arm around your significant other's shoulders in public is taboo. It's the culture. The Japanese are very private people, after all.

I know that most people headcanon Ochaco to be the PDA-ish one of the couple, it's certainly that way in many fanart, but for me, it also makes sense the other way around. Ochaco hadn't been raised in a big city, so I expect her to be more conservative. On the other hand, Katsuki is crude and always forgoes good manners. He puts his feet up on desks, shouts in public, talks impolitely even to complete strangers, etc. In the same vein, I think he wouldn't give a shit about the rules on PDA. For sure, he would be embarrassed at first as a teenager, but I think that as he matures, it wouldn't be much of a big deal for him anymore. He won't be big on PDA, but he won't be as uptight about it as other people for whom manners are important.

Okay this A/N has become too long. Thank you for your readership and your follows/favorites/reviews. I hope you enjoyed this light chapter after the drama in the last three! There's more to come; the Bakugo family's story is far from over. I hope you'll keep following, and of course keep interacting with me, I do love reading what you think about what I write! :)

Next chapter, Ochaco finds herself a little jealous!


	14. Chapter 13: A Show She Wouldn't Forget

**Chapter 13: A Show She Wouldn't Forget**

One perk of having a man with tunnel vision is that there is never any need to worry about his eyes straying. Ochaco is grateful for this; she's adult enough now to admit that she's the jealous type.

When she and Katsuki had first started dating in high school, she had been jealous of Ashido Mina. Mina was hot and popular, and she was good friends with the boys Katsuki was often surrounded by.

Once or twice, Ochaco had seen Mina chatting up Katsuki, being very friendly and casual with him. It was just Mina being her usual self, really, and Ochaco knew it probably meant nothing, but she had still found herself nursing feelings of jealousy that only grew stronger the more she tried to ignore it.

So, cautiously, she brought it up with Katsuki as they studied together one evening. They had taken to spending time together like that, staying at the dorms' common area a bit later than everyone else and helping each other with homework. It was mostly Katsuki doing the helping, being a top student and all, but Ochaco had thoughts to contribute too, once in a while.

In the middle of reviewing for an exam on the History of Heroism, she asked Katsuki what he thought about Mina. He gave her a blank stare and asked her who that was. He couldn't be expected to remember the name of every fucker in their school.

She frowned at him and repeated the name. Ashido Mina. Alien Queen? The pink girl who could shoot acid from her body? She'd been hanging out sometimes with him and Kirishima and Kaminari.

Recognition flashed on Katsuki's face and blandly he replied that Raccoon Eyes was all right. A bit too friendly, a little annoying, but tolerable overall.

Ochaco prodded a little more, her lips in a pout, her eyes coy and curious as she looked up at him from her notebook. Did Katsuki also think Mina was all right, like, in a sexual way?

Katsuki physically recoiled at that and threw her a look that was halfway between disgust and affront. What the fuck did Ochaco think he was? A fucking pervert? Why the hell would he even think that way about his classmates?

Ochaco countered, cheeks heating up at her own boldness, that he had once implied that he thought that way about herself, and she was a classmate, too. So why would Mina or the other girls in their class be any different?

Katsuki snarled between grit teeth that of course it was different because Ochaco was not just a classmate, she was…

She looked at him expectantly, and he realized what he was saying. Blood rushed to his face all the way up to the tips of his ears.

Ochaco was his girlfriend.

He grumbled out that last word, small sparks jumping on his palms as he burned in embarrassment.

Ochaco squealed happily.

Girlfriend. He had never used that word before. She and Katsuki had been going out consistently for the past few months, and they had even kissed already, but it was the first time he acknowledged out loud that she was his girlfriend.

She threw her notebook aside and her arms around his torso in a giant hug. He wrinkled his nose in mock disgust of her excessive excitement, but he couldn't hide the grin that fought its way onto his lips.

* * *

Ochaco is making her way through the crowded station, not even in hero costume, when a group of young women, college students on vacation by the look of them, approaches and asks sheepishly if she could spare a moment. Uravity is their favorite pro hero and they would love to have her signature if it's all right.

Of course it's all right! In fact, Ochaco is so happy to be recognized and to be told that she's someone's favorite hero after so long that she even offers to take a selfie with them. She would never forget the excited looks on their faces as they all strike a pose for the camera.

Ochaco is on her way to Katsuki's office, just on the other side of Tokyo Sation from the hero agency she just had a meeting at. She and Deku have decided to partner with this particular agency for rescue training, and since it's so close to where Katsuki works, she's decided to pay him a visit. It's almost time for his shift to end. They could make their way back home together.

Ochaco had texted Deku that she was going straight home after her meeting, and he was cool with it. He has allowed her a pretty flexible schedule, and it's at the top of her long list of reasons for loving her new job with him. It's all the way up there right beside the numerous opportunities she's now being given to prove her merit as a hero.

At her previous employment, Uravity never called the shots and, especially after starting a family, she often lost good opportunities to colleagues that her boss deemed better or more committed than her.

At Deku's agency, however, she gets to make important decisions, including what missions they take, and in the mere six months since they started, she has already been able to demonstrate strategic skill in leading her team through several high-stakes rescue operations, drawing the interest of both the media and the public.

Their manager at the agency has also launched a new image for Uravity. Gone is the sweet and innocent angelface that admittedly no longer aptly portays her. Now, Uravity has been rebranded as a power woman, a hero at work and a hero at home, a hero who represents the aspirations of modern ladies all over Japan, if not the world.

And so far, this new image seems to be working. Ochaco has seen an increase in the number of her fans among women aged 18 to 34, a lot of them also working mothers like herself. Recently, there have even been talks between her agency and a line of kids' clothing about the prospect of Uravity becoming an endorser for their brand.

Uravity is slowly regaining her lost popularity, and Ochaco hopes that soon, this would translate to a higher hero ranking.

Katsuki's office is on the seventh floor of a building within a stone's throw from the moats that surround the Imperial Palace, and it's aptly posh, all glass and marble and concrete. There is an air of elegance that makes Ochaco a bit embarrassed to be wearing casual clothes and lugging around a trolley bag into which she had stuffed her hero costume after changing out of it at one of the designated hero lounges at Tokyo Station.

When she arrives at the office proper, a uniformed receptionist informs her that Bakugo's team is out on patrol duty, but that they should be coming back soon. Ochaco sits herself down on one of the leather sofas at the reception area to wait for him.

Soon enough, the panel above the elevator doors lights up to signify its arrival on the seventh floor, and Katsuki emerges along with his team.

He's engaged in conversation with Kirishima, or rather, he seems to be impatiently listening while Kirishima is talking. They are accompanied by a couple of colleagues whom Ochaco has met a few times before, but what catches her attention is the new one that she doesn't recognize.

It's a young female hero, probably a fresh graduate or maybe even an intern, and she's walking a few steps behind Katsuki looking at him with googly eyes.

Ochaco's small brows meet at the center of her forehead as she appraises the girl up and down with narrowed eyes. She's quite pretty, and her skintight costume proudly shows off a young, supple body. The fact annoys Ochaco, even though she's well aware that bodysuits are common among female heroes, herself included.

Kirishima notices Ochaco sitting on the sofa and points her out to Katsuki, who turns to look. She wipes the reproachful expression off her face and gives him a small wave. He looks surprised, but the corners of his mouth flicker upwards very slightly as he makes his way to her, Kirishima in tow.

Katsuki asks her what she's doing at their office, and she tells him about her meeting and her idea to go home together. Kirishima coos that she's too sweet, more than Katsuki deserves. Katsuki snaps at him to shut his mouth; Kirishima and Ochaco share a chuckle. Clicking his tongue at this tag team teasing, Katsuki tells her he'll be ready to go as soon as he gets changed.

He and Kirishima then head to the locker rooms along with the other members of their team, who also wave to Ochaco in greeting as they pass by. The new girl, however, stays at the reception area and starts chatting happily with two more female heroes that look about her age.

Ochaco recognizes one of them as the champion of the televised UA sports festival that had aired earlier in the year, and she figures that they're UA students on their internship, even the girl who'd been looking dreamily at her husband. Ochaco purses her lips. Kids these days…

When Katsuki returns, he's in civilian clothing and ready to leave. He moves to grab the trolley bag that Ochaco has parked by her feet, but she pulls on his arm and asks him to hold her hand instead. He quirks an eyebrow curiously.

Pouting slightly and with cheeks even rosier than usual, she mutters that she'd seen their new pretty intern making eyes at him and she's just feeling a little possessive, that's all.

Katsuki stares at her blankly for a bit, and then he snickers, causing all heads in the room to swivel in their direction. No one has ever heard him make that sound before, and they're all pretty much shocked to see him in such a light mood.

And that would have been enough, really. That should be enough to show them all how special Ochaco is to him, and she really would have been satisfied with that.

But Katsuki doesn't let it end there. He leans down to where Ochaco is still seated on the couch and presses a firm kiss on her lips. It makes a resounding smack that she could swear everybody heard.

When he pulls away, he's smirking all the way up to his eyes, and the atmosphere in the room feels just a little bit awkward. Ochaco's hands fly to her mouth, and she glows red from embarrassment.

Katsuki kissed her! In public! At his workplace! In front of his colleagues! What did he do that for?

He smugly tells her that she had wanted to give the new intern a show, so they gave her a show she wouldn't easily forget. Ochaco crossly chides that she had only wanted to hold hands, and Katsuki, his smirk not letting up, retorts that he doesn't do anything half-assed.

He then proceeds to grab the handle of her trolley bag with one hand and her own hand with the other, pulling her up from the couch and then across the reception area to the elevators.

As they leave, Ochaco steals a glance back at the young intern and notes in secret triumph that the girl isn't giving Katsuki googly eyes anymore. Instead, she's looking at Ochaco with an expression that looks a lot like that of admiration.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Just some light-hearted Kacchako fluff this time! Sorry if it's a bit short. This was supposed to be part of a larger chapter, but it was getting too long, so I decided to split it in half and post this separately.

A few things:

Marunouchi is Tokyo's financial district, just on the west side of Tokyo Station. The Imperial Palace, where the Imperial family lives is within five minutes from the station on foot. In this fic, Katsuki's office is imagined to be in a building halfway between the station and the moats surrounding the palace.

Just some light-hearted Kacchako fluff this time! Sorry if it's a bit short. This was supposed to be part of a larger chapter, but it was getting too long, so I decided to split it in half and post this separately.

A few things from research:

Marunouchi is Tokyo's financial district, just on the west side of Tokyo Station. The Imperial Palace, where the Imperial family lives is within five minutes from the station on foot. In this fic, Katsuki's office is imagined to be in a building halfway between the station and the moats surrounding the palace.

Tokyo Station is huge. It's served by many train lines, including the bullet trains. There are plenty of lockers available at the station, but as far as I know, no locker rooms. I made up the hero lounge mentioned in the chapter, because I'm thinking that there has to be some kind of designated public space for heroes to change into or out of their costumes in case they need to do so away from home or their offices.

As always, thank you for reading! Your thoughts are appreciated! Next chapter, Kimiko celebrates a milestone... and a new arc unfolds!


	15. Chapter 14: Year-End High

**Chapter 14: Year-End High**

In autumn, Katsuki and Ochaco make time one weekend to visit Katsuki's parents. Kimiko had turned three at the end of summer, a milestone by custom, and her grandparents are helping out with the shichi-go-san rituals.

Mitsuki twirls Kimiko's now ash blonde hair into twin buns adorned with bright red flower clips on each side. The stubborn spiky strands, so much like Katsuki's, take a while to style, and by the time they're done, Kimiko is scowling and impatient, and Mitsuki needs Ochaco's help to cajole the toddler into keeping still for her make-up.

Together, they dress Kimiko up in a kimono for the first time. Masaru had chosen a long-sleeved, ankle-length piece in seafoam blue, splashed with a pattern of peonies and plums. They slip a pair of split-toed socks and vinyl sandals on her little feet, and the strap of a pink floral drawstring bag around her wrist. They complete the outfit with a bright red padded vest over Kimiko's chest, a special article for three-year-old girls to wear on this occasion.

The full set had been rented. Ochaco had downright refused to spend close to a hundred thousand yen on something that Kimiko would wear a grand total of once. She had suggested buying a nice, pretty dress instead, like what more and more families do these days, and Katsuki was fine with the idea, not caring either way as long as Kimiko looked pretty in the pictures. But his parents preferred to be more traditional and offered to buy kimono as a gift.

Ochaco begged Katsuki to please, please talk his parents out of doing something so wasteful. She couldn't tell them herself, too polite to impose on her in-laws, but she was practically hissing instructions into Katsuki's ear as he spoke to his mother on the phone about it, much to his annoyance.

In the end, they all decided to compromise by renting instead. It still cost fifty-eight thousand yen for the full outfit including the accessories. Ochaco had grumbled in bed every night for one whole week about how that was worth almost a month of Kimiko's nursery tuition, until Katsuki got fed up and tried to smother her with a pillow, snarling at her to stop being a fucking cheapskate and let it go already.

Now that Ochaco can see just how cute Kimiko looks in her rented kimono though, she can't say she isn't glad they went this route.

Masaru drives them all a short distance to a photo studio where Mitsuki had set an appointment for Kimiko. They arrive just as another family with an equally dolled up toddler exits, and soon, it's time for Kimiko to take her turn.

Despite the photographer giving it his best effort, Kimiko refuses to smile for the camera. Instead, she looks grumpy throughout the shoot, her brow wrinkled and her strawberry-painted lips set in a pout.

The studio lights are hot on the skin, and the makeup probably feels a little heavy on her face since she's not used to it, so Ochaco understands why Kimiko would be in a bad mood. She's behaving quite tamely though, by Bakugo family standards, so Ochaco doesn't mind too much. She wouldn't have put it past her daughter to be screaming and kicking on the floor instead, clawing at the elaborate buns in her hair and ripping her fifty-eight thousand yen rental kimono to shreds.

Compared to that kind of meltdown, scowling in the commemorative photos is much more preferable. It's not a big deal. They can live with it. In fact, Katsuki might even prefer it this way, because Kimiko looks an exact copy of him when she's giving attitude like this.

Sure enough, Ochaco finds him looking on at the shoot rather smugly as he stands beside her with arms crossed over his chest. She rolls her eyes; Katsuki is such a narcissist! But she grins and feels her heart flip in her chest anyway.

After the shoot, they head on foot to a nearby shrine for the ceremony proper. It's one of the smaller ones in the area, deliberately chosen to avoid crowds of other families. Kimiko wouldn't enjoy waiting a long time in stuffy clothes, and Katsuki would be sure to blow his top if he or Ochaco had to entertain fans while doing something as personal as getting their child through an important milestone. So while most families flock to the big shrines where festivities are in full blast, they decided on one that they knew wouldn't attract as many people.

The shrine is relatively empty when they arrive, and they are immediately ushered inside to begin. Kimiko miraculously keeps her cool through almost thirty minutes of prayer and ritual, obediently bowing to the priest when asked and even deigning to take a sip of sacred non-alcoholic sake at the end, although she does stick her tongue out with a very audible sound of disgust at the taste.

When they all exit back onto the shrine grounds, Kimiko has a medallion around her neck and a bag of the traditional red-and-white thousand-year candy in her fist. Ochaco lets Kimiko nibble on them and takes advantage of her amicable mood from the sweets to snap more pictures of her in ceremonial finery before they finally leave, driving back to Masaru and Mitsuki's house for a nice family dinner to cap off the celebrations.

* * *

People who have worked in the same office as The Explosion Hero Bakugo for the past several years tend to avoid him in the mornings when he's extra grumpy and bound to yell death threats at anyone who so much as casts a shadow in his general direction.

But today, he's in a good mood. His daughter's shichi-go-san studio photos finally came in the mail yesterday, and he's pretty happy with how they've turned out, despite the fact that Kimiko looks about close to a tantrum in all of them.

His mother had gotten the package that includes a blown-up print and a dozen small ones. Katsuki and Ochaco have taken six each of the latter to bring to work. She wants to show fucking Deku. He wants to show Kirishima and anyone else in the office who would care.

Ochaco had reminded him last night that modesty is a virtue and he shouldn't brag too much about their daughter, but it was a half-hearted attempt as she herself had been shaking with excitement. Katsuki is willing to bet that she's already managed to worm the photos into every conversation she's had with her own colleagues this morning.

On his end, he has allowed his teammates to gather around his workstation for once, so they can gaze in awe at the prints of his little girl that currently lay on his desk. The photos are being received very well indeed, and Katsuki's expression grows haughtier with each repetition of the words 'cute' and 'adorable'.

Heh, bet none of these fuckers would ever be able to produce offspring as fine as his!

His high spirits dampen slightly when Kirishima takes one long look at the photos and then chirps that now he knows what Katsuki would look like with makeup on. The remark causes more than a few badly suppressed snorts of laughter from the rest of their team.

Katsuki glares murder at Kirishima and ignites a palm at him threateningly, but the little fucker only throws his head back, overcome with mirth.

* * *

The year closes with Uravity finally making it to the Top 20 for the first time in the five years since she got married. She's at the very bottom of the list at #20, but it's still phenomenal improvement from the numbers she'd been stuck at for a long time.

Ochaco's colleagues all explode into applause. Deku is grinning from ear to ear, looking almost as excited as she feels. The whole agency is gathered around the conference table in the meeting room, which is again filled with food and drink as they celebrate in a small party the end of what has turned out to be a fruitful first year for all of them.

At six in the evening, their business manager had turned on the big television mounted on the meeting room wall so they could all watch the scheduled broadcast of the latest hero rankings on Nippon Hero Kyokai, and now Ochaco can hardly believe her eyes as she sees her hero name flashed on screen alongside several familiar ones, such as Tsukiyami and Creati tied at #17, Froppy at #14, and Red Riot at the very top at #11.

Ochaco feels tears well in her eyes. Uravity is back! And it's only the beginning. She's determined to continue rising up the ranks in the succeeding months. She says as much to her colleagues, pumping her fists in a gesture of resolve, and they all burst into another round of cheering before settling down again to wait with bated breaths as the news anchor on screen prepares to reveal the Top 10.

It has barely changed in the past year and a half, with only ranks #1 to #4 shuffling from time to time between the older heroes who currently occupy them. Deku has staunchly defended his position at #5, while Bakugo and Shoto have yet to break their tie at #7. It's been like that for nineteen months already, and the public is eager to see which between the two heroes would finally make it through to #6.

Katsuki has been working very diligently to make sure it's going to be him, but much to Ochaco's gratitude, ever since the huge fight that they had, he has been careful not to lose himself in his job again.

He still tends to work long hours; it can't be helped. But he has become conscious of the late nights and weekends that he's absent from home, and he makes up for them by setting aside plenty of quality time to spend with his family, even if it means that he can't be as extra at work as he'd typically like to be, or that he has to give up days he'd rather spend entirely in bed.

The arrangement has been very hard on Katsuki, but he had promised he would do it and he has so far been good on his word.

Ochaco is nothing but proud of her husband. She knows better than anybody else just how difficult it is to juggle family with career as a pro hero, and yet Katsuki has, for the past year and a half, been able to fulfill his dual role with excellence.

He's a wonderful father, and he's a wonderful hero, and she prays with all her heart that this month would be the month when he finally beats Todoroki in the race to #6.

When the Top 10 finally flashes on screen, Ochaco's eyes immediately home in on #7, and her heart skips a beat when she sees there is only name beside it. Shoto. She sucks in a breath and looks up at #6, expecting Bakugo to be there.

Except he's not.

Her heart stops. Slowly, her whole body shaking with dread, she lets her eyes travel down again, past Todoroki's hero name at #7, to where Bakugo is written at #8.

Her elation at having made it to the Top 20 dissipates completely. Katsuki is #8; he has gone down a rank. He has now lost not only to Deku who remains at #5, but also to Todoroki, who's left at #7.

Ochaco feels faint as she turns toward Deku. He meets her fearful eyes with solemn ones. He knows. He understands. He gives her a small nod to signify that she's free to leave their year-end party earlier than planned.

Somehow, she manages to force a smile on her lips and cheer in her voice as she bids the room a sudden goodbye. Their colleagues issue a complaint in unison. It's way too early to leave, nobody's even tipsy yet! But Ochaco makes a show of looking at the time and rambles about how her daughter throws terrible tantrums when she's not home by a certain hour.

In the midst of their year-end high, no one save for Deku catches Ochaco shedding her joyful façade as soon as she turns to leave.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Ah, another chapter that features topics I took pains to reasearch on. I'm a big nerd so I do find these things interesting. I hope you do too!

1) Babies' heads used to be shaved from birth until they were 3, which was when they were finally allowed to grow them. When boys turn 5, they get to wear hakama (wide-legged pants worn over kimono) for the first time, and when girls turn 7, they are allowed to wear obi (wide, beautiful belts) instead of a sash to tie their kimono around their waists. These occasions are celebrated in shichi-go-san, which literally means 7-5-3.

Also, in the past when child mortality was very high, children were considered to still be residing partly in the gods' realm until they were 7. The gods could take them back anytime. When they reach 7 years, it means they're safe. They're now fully part of the mundane world, and they won't suddenly die on you. That's another thing to celebrate. I learned this little tidbit from an anime called Hozuki no Reitetsu and I found it very interesting. They never tell you that anymore. Out of the several sites I visited to read up on shichi-go-san, only one made mention of it.

Shichi-go-san is celebrated on November 15, but it's not a public holiday, so families usually go do the rituals on the closest weekend. These days, not all families do the traditional ceremony of getting their child prayed over by a Shinto priest, but a shrine visit is still more or less a staple activity for the festivities, along with taking commemorative photos of the child in kimono. Some shrines offer both services as a package.

Kimono sets for shichi-go-san is super expensive, the good ones costing as much as 98,000 yen! Because of that, rental kimono is becoming the go-to for many families now, the price of which would be upward of 20,000 yen depending on the quality. More and more families have also taken to dressing their kids in Western clothing instead.

I also mentioned a padded vest that goes with Kimiko's outfit. It's called a hifu, and it's something only 3-year-old girls wear for shichi-go-san. If you search 'shichi-go-san' on Google images, you'll find many pictures of adorable little girls wearing such an article in a variety of designs.

Finally, I also wrote about chitose ame, which literally means 'thousand-year sweets'. These are long sticks of white and red candy that are traditionally given to kids celebrating shichi-go-san. As the name implies, they symbolize wishes for the child's long and prosperous life.

I'm sorry if I basically gave a high school social studies lecture here, but I did enjoy reading up on this topic a lot, so I kind of want to share what I learned.

2) Modesty is a virtue that's taken pretty seriously in Japan, so what Katsuki does here, bragging about his daughter so openly, it's not something many parents would do. I've read that you're not even supposed to say that you kid goes to a particular school or plays in the school's team.

I decided to still have Katsuki brag about Kimiko because I think it fits his character. After all, we're talking about the guy who announced on the microphone, in front of a whole stadium of spectators plus national TV, that he was going to be #1 at the sports festival.

3) Year-end parties, called 'bonenkai' are parties held to celebrate the passing of the year. Bonenkai is not a new year party because it's not about the new year. It's literally meant to celebrate the fact that the previous year is about to end. People eat and drink to forget the bad and to give thanks for the good. Most companies would organize bonenkai for their employees, just like what Deku did here for his agency. By the way, December 31 is not a public holiday in Japan.

Thank you for reading! I hope you didn't think I wasted digital space on this chapter! I was really set on including shichi-go-san because it's a big milestone and I want to paint a picture of the Bakugo family doing important family stuff before I break the news that Katsuki will again be facing some trouble professionally. I hope I was able to make it interesting enough.

Next chapter, how will Katsuki take the news that he has fallen down a rank?

** I will be taking a break for the holidays! Expect the next chapter up by the first week of January 2018. Leave me a review as a Christmas gift, haha! Have a happy Christmas and New Year, everyone! :)


	16. Chapter 15: A Plateau

Happy new year, everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday!

* * *

 _Previously on The Hard Road..._

Kimiko turns three and the family celebrates the milestone. Ochaco is thrilled to be ending the year at #20, the first time she's been back in the Top 20 since her marriage. However, her high spirits are dampened when the Top 10 is revealed and she discovers that Katsuki has dropped down a rank.

* * *

 **Chapter 15: A Plateau**

Ochaco hurriedly kicks off her shoes as soon as she enters their apartment. She grabs a pair of slippers from the rack by the side of the front door and almost slips in her haste to slide into them. Katsuki hasn't been replying to her messages, and it has gotten her very worried.

She finds him in the kitchen, sitting at the table with his elbows on the surface and his face hidden in his hands. Kimiko is on the chair beside his, having dinner on her own. Judging by how uncharacteristically quiet and behaved she's being, Ochaco guesses that even their three-year-old daughter can tell that something's wrong with her father.

Ochaco softly calls Katsuki's name from where she stands at the kitchen entrance, and he looks up from his hands. He looks dazed. He's surprised to see her even though he should have heard the racket she had made coming in.

She doesn't really know how to begin the conversation, and she doesn't get the chance to try. Before she can say anything, Katsuki stands up from the table and asks, so calmly it's unnerving, if she minds taking over with Kimiko for a bit. He's not feeling very well and he wants to take a walk outside to get some fresh air. She gives him an uncertain nod and he heads for the door.

Ochaco stops him with a hand on his arm as he passes, and he turns to meet her eyes. Katsuki looks as though he's waiting for her to say something, and when nothing comes, he very gently removes her hand and repeats that he'll be going out for some air.

He's almost at the door when Ochaco stops him again. This time, she runs to their bedroom and grabs a thick winter jacket to drape over his shoulders as he sits on the step of the entryway doing the laces on his shoes.

It's cold outside, he should cover up, and he should definitely return home tonight, she'll be waiting up for him.

It takes a long, excruciating moment before Katsuki nods and takes the jacket from his shoulders to wear it properly. With his eyes on his shoes, he reassures her that he won't be gone for long, he just needs some time to be on his own. Then he stands up, presses a light kiss on her forehead, and exits the apartment.

* * *

It's past nine on the eve of the new year and normally their family would be celebrating, having toshikoshi soba at least while they watch the special programs on television together. But Katsuki still hasn't returned, and Ochaco isn't feeling particularly festive, so she decides to send Kimiko to bed earlier than planned.

Kimiko finally pops the question as Ochaco tucks her in. What's wrong with Daddy? They had been playing with her doctor kit before dinner, but then suddenly he didn't want to play anymore, and he hadn't spoken a word again until Mommy came home.

Ochaco puts on a smile for her daughter, smoothing her hair. Daddy's upset because something happened at work, but there's no need for Kimiko to worry. He'll be okay again in the morning.

Kimiko nods and closes her eyes. She asks her mother to keep stroking her hair until she falls asleep, with which Ochaco is happy to oblige. The repetitive motion is soothing to both of them, and it distracts her a little bit from the relentless pounding in her chest.

Katsuki had promised he would come home, and he had even given Ochaco a kiss before leaving, obviously to reassure her, but she still can't help feeling worried.

It's been over two hours since he left. What has he been up to all this time? Is he all right? What if he's done something reckless? What kind of thoughts is he having? What if he blames her for what happened?

Maybe if Ochaco hadn't asked him to give their family equal priority as his work, he wouldn't have fallen down a rank. Maybe if he hadn't married her or had a kid so early, then…

Ochaco stops herself before her thoughts spiral out of control. It's not healthy to think like that. She and Katsuki have been married for five years now, and have had their daughter for three. This shouldn't be an issue anymore. They should be long past this. There shouldn't be any more room for the guilt she's feeling right now.

But she can't help it. Before they had gotten married, Katsuki had a sure shot to the top. But now, with his focus divided, he's lagging behind his contemporaries. He works so hard, but he still lost to Todoroki and he can't seem to catch up to Deku.

It's not her fault, and she knows that, but Ochaco remembers how wretched she had felt when her own career was at a low point, and she can't bear to imagine that Katsuki might be feeling the same way right now.

Soft and steady breathing signals that Kimiko is finally asleep. Ochaco withdraws her hand from her daughter's hair and presses a kiss on her forehead, very lightly so she doesn't wake up. Then she pulls up the crib's railing a bit higher to make sure Kimiko doesn't fall out if she rolls over in her sleep.

Kimiko is getting too big for her crib now, and even the room itself seems smaller than it used to be. Ochaco and Katsuki have been talking about getting a larger apartment before Kimiko turns four, so she can have a real room with space for a real bed. Ochaco hopes they wouldn't have to postpone the plans now that the recent development in Katsuki's career is sure to mean that work would be keeping him extra busy in the coming months.

Ochaco quietly makes her way back into the living room and slides the door of Kimiko's cramped nursery shut behind her. Her eyes immediately go to the front door, but there's still no sign of Katsuki. It's a quarter to ten.

She perches herself on the sofa and waits.

* * *

The sound of the front door opening wakes Ochaco up. A glance to her phone screen shows her it's now a little after midnight. She doesn't remember falling asleep; she must have dozed off in the past hour.

Groggily, she sits up and rubs her eyes. Katsuki is at the entryway, closing the door behind him and removing his jacket. He frowns up at her as he crouches to untie his shoelaces. He rebukes her for having forced herself to stay up. She should have just gone to bed if she were sleepy. He'd promised he would come home, hadn't he?

He changes into slippers and walks over to the couch, plopping down beside her. He hands her a plastic bag that Ochaco recognizes to be from the 24-hour grocery near the station. Peeking inside, she sees two instant noodle cups of the toshikoshi soba variety.

She looks curiously at Katsuki. He shrugs and explains that he had been absorbed in his thoughts, not realizing that he had been walking around aimlessly for hours until temple bells rang all over town close to midnight and jolted him out of his daze.

He had remembered then that it was the eve of the new year and he had completely failed to spend it with Ochaco and Kimiko. The grocery was all out of soba by the time he got there, so he had to settle for the instant kind. It's a bit late to eat them now, since midnight has come and gone, but what the hell, it's just stupid tradition anyway.

His face is set in a frown, but Ochaco is relieved. He's home. He hadn't done anything dangerous, and he doesn't seem angry with her.

Ochaco reaches up to give her husband a peck on the cheek. The corners of his mouth twitch into a small smile, and he wraps an arm around her. She leans her head on his chest, listening to the steady, soothing beat of his heart.

They stay like that in silence for several moments before she breaks it to finally ask the question that has been on her mind since the rankings came out. Is Katsuki okay?

Ochaco feels his chest rise as he takes a deep breath before he answers. No, he admits. He's not okay. He's frustrated and he doesn't know how to deal with it.

Ochaco tries to look him in the eye, but Katsuki slides the hand resting on her waist up toward the back of her head, pressing gently to keep her locked against his chest. She doesn't struggle, but she clings to him tighter and whispers that she'll be there for him no matter what. Katsuki strokes her hair without a word. There really isn't anything more to be said.

When Ochaco finally pulls away from the embrace, she's smiling. The cheer doesn't quite reach her eyes, but she's trying her best, and so for her sake, Katsuki forces himself to try as well. He lets her tug him up by the hand, and he follows her when she traipses into the kitchen to prepare their midnight snack of toshikoshi soba.

Together, they eat their noodles with wishes for good health, great fortune, and a long, long life with each other.

* * *

Aftter three months at #8, Katsuki feels his patience thin out. He has been doing everything he can to climb back up at least to #7, which fucking Todoroki has left to shoot another rank up, and yet every end of the month, the television shows the same result. Deku at #5, Shoto at #6, and Bakugo at #8.

Hero rankings are determined by three factors: performance evaluation, measure of goodwill, and popularity surveys among the general public.

Katsuki has never had problems with performance or popularity, but it had taken some time before his managers at the agency could convince him to work on his contributions to society outside of his hero work. He had grumbled through it in the beginning, but the first month he had been present at a charity drive was also the first month in his career that he had broken into the Top 15. So now, he has a line of honorary plaques lined up on their shelf at home from the many organizations that he has, over the years, volunteered at or given sizable donations to.

Since he dropped down a rank at the end of last year, Katsuki has made sure to be extra active in the community, even once subjecting himself to several hours of torture giving out autographs at a fan meeting organized by a small charity in need of funds. They were able to raise close to half a million yen on event sign-ups and donations, and Bakugo was talked about favorably in the papers and online for several weeks. But when the rankings came out for that month, he still hadn't budged at #8.

Katsuki is almost at his wits' end trying to figure out what else he could possibly do to improve his ranking, so finally, he swallows his considerable pride and schedules a consultation session with his managers at the agency.

He hates the business side of heroism. All he wants is to be the irrefutable best at blowing villains up, but the stupid system has to be complicated as shit. So now, even though it grates on his nerves, he has to sit down with a bunch of people who play the stupid system like a chess game.

What he doesn't expect is for the managers to tell him that he's stuck at #8 not because of his popularity or even his goodwill, but because of his performance.

The statement immediately raises Katsuki's hackles. That's bullshit! He's one of the agency's top performers, easily in the lead when it comes to villain apprehension. How can his performance be lacking?

The managers explain that performance evaluation isn't just about quantity, but also the quality of villain arrests. While Bakugo has assisted with a great number of cases the past several months, he has mostly dealt with low-impact everyday villains.

In contrast, Shoto has recently moved on to missions of a higher level. He has limited himself to a few cases at a time, but all of them involve dangerous villains that the police have had particular trouble with. Evaluated side by side, Shoto gets more points than Bakugo, because pro heroism operates on a system of high risk, high reward.

Katsuki slams a fist on the conference table sitting between him and the managers.

Isn't it the agency's responsibility to provide him with the kind of opportunities that will allow him to do what fucking Todoroki is doing? They also benefit from the heroes in their employment placing high in the rankings, so why the fuck aren't they giving him better missions and helping him get his spot at #7 back?

The managers look at one another and whisper among themselves. Katsuki loses his patience and stands up, kicking his chair down. He barks at them to spit it out, and they apprehensively admit that the agency hasn't been assigning him to higher level missions because they don't think he's ready.

Katsuki barely stops himself from blasting the conference table to dust. He narrows his eyes and hisses at the managers menacingly.

Not ready? He's been in the Top 10 consistently for the past six years, impressive for someone so young. He always passes his annual physical and Quirk assessment with exemplary scores. How the fuck is he not ready?

Hushed murmurs go off among the managers again, and Katsuki detonates a small explosion from his palm to get their attention back on him.

What the fuck is it?! Katsuki is snarling through clenched teeth now, tired at having to deal with this enigmatic bullshit. If they don't give it to him straight in the next minute, he'll have to blow the whole building up.

Finally, the most senior member of the group sucks in a breath and throws caution to the wind. He tells Katsuki that while there's no doubt that he remains one of the agency's best heroes, he seems to have lost his momentum.

In other words, Bakugo has reached a plateau in his growth as a pro hero.

The managers have seen it happen to other heroes in the past. They get married, start a family, and over time their performance starts to stagnate. Being a pro hero requires time, energy, and a level of tenacity that's hard to commit to when one becomes responsible for another human being.

Katsuki's life is not about just him anymore. Over the past three years, he has had less time for work and less space in his mind for the riskier ideas that naturally come in spades to someone who can afford to be carefree.

Pro heroes rarely marry young, or sometimes even at all, precisely because of this. Katsuki has barely scratched the peak of his potential, and yet he's already reached a plateau. His growth is slowing when he should be at his prime, and it shows in the way he has dropped down a rank and gotten stuck, while both Shoto and Deku seem about ready to take over their seniors at the higher ranks.

The managers make it clear that they aren't taking it against Katsuki. He's still more than excellent at his job. They respect how he can juggle his personal life with a career as hectic as being a pro hero. But he has to be realistic. He can't expect to continue growing at the same pace as others who only have themselves to think about.

Katsuki is standing still as a statue, his usual scowl replaced with a look of stunned disbelief. He opens his mouth as though to say something, but no sound comes out.

The managers look at him with… what's that? Pity? Katsuki feels himself suffocate. Fuck that, he doesn't need their pity.

They start to offer solutions. In a tone so kind it's insufferable, they tell Katsuki that with his credentials, they could get him a mentorship with one of the Top 3. The change of pace might break him out of his plateau, and then maybe in half a year or so, the agency would finally be comfortable taking his career to the next level.

Katsuki looks at the managers blankly.

Half a year. They're telling him to wait half a year before he's allowed to do what Todoroki is doing right now. By then, who knows how far Todoroki and Deku would have advanced?

Katsuki is already being left behind as it is. He can't wait half a year.

The managers seems to have more to say, but Katsuki isn't interested anymore. He cuts the consultation short with a curt word of thanks, before turning on his heel and slamming the door shut as he exits the conference room.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

This story has really grown beyond what I had first imagined. When I started writing this, I was determined to end with only ten chapters. But as I got closer to Chapter 10, I realized it was impossible. There was just no way to wrap things up with any justice if I ended it so abruptly. So I decided to continue, promising myself I would end at Chapter 15, but look, here I am at Chapter 15, and nope, I'm not done.

If you're wondering, I do have an ending in mind already. It's not yet completely fleshed out, but I know where I want to leave Katsuki at least when I end the story. It's just that, I have to reach that point naturally, that's why I'm taking so long. When I write that final chapter, there has to be no doubt in my mind that the story progressed logically to that point.

Anyway, on to a few things:

1) You might have noticed that Kimiko switches from calling her parents 'Mama' and 'Papa' to 'Mommy' and 'Daddy'. This was not a mistake, but a deliberate switch. As a baby, she only has the ability to say the syllables 'Mama' and 'Papa', but now that her language skills are developing, she has moved on to call them 'Kaachan' and 'Touchan', which is equivalent to 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' (while the 'Kaasan' and 'Tousan' would be 'Mom' and 'Dad').

2) Omisoka is the last day of the year. Basically, New Years' Eve, except it's not like the one we know. Omisoka is celebrated relatively quietly with family, watching TV specials while heating up under the kotatsu. People eat toshikoshi soba or udon to symbolize a wish for longevity. Toshikoshi soba can be bought from soba shops or from the supermarket, and there's also the instant noodle variety like what I mentioned in this fic. 'Toshikoshi' literally means 'crossing over'. Close to midnight, Buddhist temples all over Japan start ringing their bells. They do it a total of 108 times to represent the 108 earthly temptations in Buddhism.

As always, thank you for reading! Comments are very much appreciated, like for real. Since the holidays are over, I will be going back to updating every 3 days.


	17. Chapter 16: The Impaler

**Chapter 16: The Impaler**

Beside Katsuki on the bed, Ochaco's phone blares loudly with her morning alarm. It's about time for her to get up for work, but eyes still closed, she gropes with mittened hands around her pillow to hit snooze.

Katsuki clicks his tongue and snatches her phone away before she can find it. He tells her to wipe the drool from her mouth and get up already.

She groans but groggily pushes herself up into a sitting position. He hands her the phone and, removing her sleeping mittens, she fumbles with the screen through heavy eyes to shut the alarm.

Katsuki peels his back off the bed and gets to his feet. He tells Ochaco to go ahead and start getting ready; he'll take care of breakfast. He leaves for the kitchen before he sees her frown worriedly at his back.

Between the two of them, Katsuki is definitely worse with mornings, but over the past month, he has been waking up earlier than Ochaco. Well, technically, that isn't true. He hasn't been waking up earlier; he just hasn't been sleeping much.

Ever since the consultation with his managers a month ago, he's found himself with a lot on his mind, and he tends to turn them over and over in his head at night. Most times, morning comes before he knows it, and he ends up not having a wink of sleep.

Ochaco doesn't know about the consultation. She doesn't know that Katsuki had been told that he's reached a plateau in his growth. She doesn't know that his managers have deemed him unfit to take on the level of missions that Todoroki has been keeping himself busy with.

Katsuki hasn't shared it with her because she would just give him an annoyingly optimistic pep talk, which he doesn't want to hear right now. Or worse, she would worry about him, and then he would worry about her being worried, and he would feel obliged to do things by the book and enter himself into a stupid mentorship or whatever it is that his managers had suggested.

He doesn't want to do that, and he doesn't want his mind to change. What he wants is to get his rank at #7 back, and he wants it right now.

He's been thinking it over, and Katsuki has decided that his shitty managers can go fuck themselves. There's no way he isn't capable of doing whatever that half-and-half bastard Todoroki can do. If his agency won't help him catch big fish, he'll do it by his own effort. He'll break through to the top, even if he needs to do it alone.

He'll take down a high-level villain, and he'll prove to everyone that he hasn't lost his spunk. He'll do it. He'll show them. Just because he's busy with a kid doesn't mean he's become a wuss!

Katsuki angrily flips the sausages he's cooking. They almost fly out of the pan, but in one fluid motion, he manages to catch them with the edge and tip them back in with the spatula.

Heh, how's that for reflexes!

He's plating the food when Ochaco enters the kitchen with Kimiko in tow. Both of them are already dressed to go out, but they share the same sleepy expression. No one in the family is a morning person, that's for sure.

Katsuki piles rice into individual bowls and serves them to Ochaco and Kimiko as they sit down. He busies himself with slicing the omelette and sausages into smaller pieces that would be easier for Kimiko to grip with the training chopsticks that she's being taught to use. Ochaco offers to take over so he can eat faster and start getting ready for work, but he tells her it's okay. He's not in a hurry.

She frowns suspiciously at him, and he curses himself internally. Shit, he shouldn't have said that. He quickly clarifies that his boss has allowed him to offset the long hours he's been working, so he can go in a little later today. Ochaco nods slowly but still looks unconvinced. Katsuki pretends not to notice.

He really doesn't like lying to Ochaco, but it can't be helped right now. If she knows what he's up to, she'll stop him, and he really can't afford that when his little project is already so close to completion.

The truth is, he hasn't been reporting to work for a few days now. He had filed for temporary leave citing health reasons, but he has actually been spending his days at a small town on the eastern end of Tokyo doing unofficial patrols.

Over the past two months, Bodies have been turning up one after another in that neighborhood, found along dark alleyways in pools of blood. According to news reports, the victims had all died from blood loss due to an injury sustained in the abdominal area. The murder weapon had been driven into the victims' backs all the way through to the front of their abdomen, bursting a major artery along the way.

Forensic analysis has revealed traces of foreign DNA within some of the victims' wounds, suggesting that the murder weapon had not been an object, but a part of the culprit's own body, so now the police is undergoing an investigation of the town's residents with registered body modification Quirks.

There have already been six victims so far, alarming especially given the short span of time it has taken to reach that number. The capture of the villain, to whom the public has given the monicker "The Impaler", has become the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's top priority.

The pro hero agency that Katsuki works for is among several that the police has requested assistance from. His employer had assigned a more senior team to the case, but Katsuki is determined to be the one to take this Impaler bastard down.

This is the opportunity he has been waiting for. His managers want risky, he'll give them risky! If he succeeds, his shitty agency will have to acknowledge that he's ready to take his career to the next level, and then he'll get his stupid rank at #7 back, and that's only the beginning.

Once Katsuki is given high level missions more constantly, he'll be sure to chase Todoroki, and then fucking Deku, in the hero rankings until he's at the top and they're both left in the dust.

And so, without his employer's blessing or even his wife's knowledge, Katsuki has been prowling the town where The Impaler's victims had been found.

Yesterday, he had come across Todoroki doing the same. The half-and-half asshole was officially on the case, so he should have known immediately that Katsuki was not supposed to be there, but he had fucking asked anyway. The bastard probably got off on putting other people on the spot.

Katsuki had growled at him to mind his own goddamn business, and Todoroki had dared reply that Katsuki isn't one to talk when he's obviously getting involved in a mission he hasn't been assigned to. The fucker had then coolly told him not to be reckless, and Katsuki had gotten so angry that he had barely restrained himself from starting a fight then and there.

The nerve of that bastard to order him around! Just because he's ahead in the rankings doesn't mean he gets to talk down to Katsuki like that. Fucking asshole! Katsuki knows what he's doing; Todoroki can keep his shitty advice to himself.

Kimiko starts to squirm in her seat halfway through her breakfast. Katsuki tries to urge her to eat more, but she throws her training chopsticks at him. Ochaco immediately scolds their daughter for her behavior, but Katsuki just clenches his jaw and breathes in deeply to regulate his temper. Kimiko is at an age when all kids are brats, so it can't be helped. At least, that's what his book says, but honestly, Katsuki sometimes wonders if this isn't retribution by the gods for how he himself had treated his own parents when he was a kid.

He picks up the training chopsticks that have dropped to the floor and puts it aside. He slides Kimiko's bowl over to himself; he'll have to finish her food so it doesn't go to waste. It's fine, at this point, he's become used to it. He tells Ochaco that she and Kimiko can go ahead if they're done. He'll take care of the dishes before he leaves.

Ochaco sends Kimiko off to put on her shoes and wait by the entryway. They've bought her a pair that closes with velcro straps, so she can practice putting them on herself, which she seems to enjoy very much. Kimiko happily runs off, leaving her parents alone in the kitchen.

Katsuki immediately feels a sense of foreboding. Ochaco's not stupid and she can read him very well. He may try to keep secrets all he wants, but she's bound to have sensed that something is up. Sure enough, she reaches across the table to put a hand over his. Her brow slightly creased, she asks him if there's anything at all that he'd like to share with her.

Katsuki hesitates. Maybe he should tell her. It's just right that he tells her. She's his wife. She deserves to know. He opens his mouth.

Then he closes it again. He can't tell her. He can't have her worrying about him and trying to convince him to let this go. He has to rise up in the hero rankings again, and he'll do whatever it takes.

He fakes a look of impatience and snaps that he doesn't know what she's on about. The look of concern doesn't leave her face, but Ochaco nods and removes her hand from his. All right then, if he's sure. She stands up to put her empty bowl in the sink. Before she leaves the kitchen, she kisses the top of his head .

Katsuki feels his stomach spasm with guilt, but he stubbornly suppresses it.

When it's all over, he'll be sure to make it up to Ochaco. She'll be mad at him for doing something so irresponsible and for keeping it a secret from her all this time, but he has to do this. He has to.

She'll understand, and hopefully she won't take too long to forgive him.

* * *

Katsuki's phone vibrates with yet another message from Kirishima and he clicks his tongue in annoyance. That fucker's another one who can read him far too well for comfort, and like Ochaco, he seems convinced that Katsuki is up to no good.

He's been blowing up Katsuki's phone the past few days to ask for the real reason he hasn't been showing up at work. Katsuki only replies to make sure the meddling bastard doesn't go straight to Ochaco instead.

He impatiently opens the message and it reads as expected. Where is Katsuki, what is he really doing, and why isn't he picking up his phone?

Katsuki replies that, for fuck's sake, he's allowed to take a fucking break if he's feeling under the weather. So like he's said a dozen times already, Kirishima should stop being a pest and leave him in peace while he tries to get the fuck better.

Kirishima sends him a series of pokerfaced emojis. Katsuki isn't the type to take sick leaves; when he's ill, Ochaco has to all but literally chain him to the bed so he'll stay put. And now, he expects Kirishima to buy this bullshit? What does Katsuki take him for?

Katsuki furiously types that he takes Kirishima for the overdramatic and paranoid asshole that he is, then he stuffs his phone into the pocket of his jacket and makes a point to ignore it when he feels it vibrate with Kirishima's response.

It's late in the afternoon, and Katsuki is taking a break from his unofficial patrol. He's sitting inside a small store along the main shopping street, a plate of the town's popular variety of dango freshly served on the table in front of him.

He grabs a skewer and bites off one ball topped generously with red bean paste. It's sweet; he thinks Ochaco will like it. Too bad he can't bring home any for her, or she might figure out where he's been.

Katsuki hadn't been able to retrieve his hero costume from the office locker room, so he's in civilian clothing, covered up in a light jacket that doesn't look out of place in the middle of spring. Currently, his face mask is folded into a square inside his pocket, but he keeps his baseball cap pulled low over his head to stay inconspicuous.

It's not just to keep fans at bay. After yesterday's run-in with Todoroki, it's highly likely that the police and pro heroes officially on The Impaler case would be wary of his presence. He doesn't want to be spotted again and questioned, so Katsuki would rather keep a low profile until the time for action is at hand.

That time comes sooner than expected.

Katsuki has barely finished his second skewer of dango when he's distracted by the store attendants gathering at the entrance, whispering excitedly among themselves and pointing at something in the distance.

Immediately, Katsuki stands up, slaps money on the table for his meal, and hurries outside to find out what's going on. Pulling the brim of his cap even lower on his face, he joins the crowd that has formed in the street and imediately sees what the commotion is about.

A tall column of ice has risen from behind low buildings to the southeast. Katsuki is quick to figure out what it means: Todoroki is on the move!

It turns out that the police has identified the owner of the DNA found on the victims. A raid had been conducted at the suspect's house, and in a last ditch effort to escape, The Impaler had made a run for it. Now, Todoroki is hot on his heels along the streets of a residential district, while the police and other pro heroes are fanning out in a circle along the perimeter to contain the area and help civilians evacuate.

Fuck! Katsuki's come too late. He'd hoped he would be able to step in before things could escalate.

Cursing out loud, he takes off toward the column of ice marking Todoroki's location. He propels himself with bursts of explosions from his palms, leaping over railings and launching himself up buildings to take the shortest route to his goal.

He's in the sky, taking a shortcut over the roof of an apartment complex, when he spots Todoroki two streets down, chasing a scrawny man with long, unkempt black hair who could be none other than The Impaler.

Katsuki dives toward them, and for a split second, Todoroki becomes distracted enough by the sight of him that he lets his eyes slip from the villain. The Impaler is quick to take advantage, turning around suddenly and shooting at Todoroki with what looks like black tendrils growing from his forearms.

Todoroki shields himself with a wall of ice. The projectiles turn out to be sharp as hell and lodge themselves into it.

It's his Quirk, Katsuki figures out as he continues to hurtle through the sky. The Impaler can grow sharp black shit on his arms that he can use as weapons. It's probably what he had stabbed his victims with.

It definitely looks dangerous, but if that's all he can do, then Katsuki would be more than a match for him. Grinning viciously, he accelerates toward The Impaler. Todoroki shouts at him to stop, but he doesn't listen. He'll have his victory and show everyone how wrong they have all been to think that The Explosion Hero Bakugo is not ready for this shit!

Todoroki's ice races across the ground. It rises to meet Katsuki in the sky, forming a great white wall ahead of him and blocking his path to The Impaler. Katsuki drops to the ground and blasts at the ice with explosions from his palms once, twice, thrice, four times, before it finally cracks and gives. He takes off again, but Todoroki has caught up and grabs him by the back of his jacket, throwing him to the ground.

Katsuki hits cement and he grits his teeth in pain. His cap has fallen off his head, and he's dimly aware of his phone slipping out of his pocket. Todoroki is standing above him, running his mouth, but Katsuki doesn't care to hear what he has to say. He's going after that villain and anyone who stands in his way right now will be struck the fuck down!

Pushing himself up into a crouching position, he sweeps a leg aiming for Todoroki's knees. Todoroki evades the kick, but Katsuki slaps a palm against the ground and sets off an explosion. The sudden tremor causes Todoroki to lose his balance, and Katsuki quickly jumps up to aim another kick. This time, his leg connects.

Todoroki falls to his knees. Katsuki brings his palms together and detonates a blast between them, right in front of Todoroki's eyes. The blinding light stuns the other man and robs him of his senses.

That should be enough to stall him for a little while.

Katsuki launches himself back up toward the sky. The Impaler had taken advantage of the scuffle to disappear, but Katsuki easily finds him from above, running through a narrow alley between two rows of houses.

With the boost provided by explosions, Katsuki is in close pursuit again in no time. He fires one strong burst from the palms extended behind him to accelerate even further, and he collides with the villain, sending them both toppling against a row of dumpsters.

The Impaler, blood running from a gash on his forehead, gets to his feet clumsily and once again activates his Quirk. This time, he doesn't shoot but instead covers his entire forearm with sharp black tendrils as he takes a blind swing at Katsuki.

Katsuki finds it easy enough to dodge the attack, but the tendrils extend as they approach, and he has to duck and roll away from The Impaler in haste. One still manages to graze his cheek, and he feels warm blood drip down his face.

Katsuki wipes at the blood roughly. He grits his teeth and lets his palms crack with explosions. That fucker's going to get it now!

He assesses the situation. The narrow alley doesn't give him much room to create big explosions with his Quirk. If he goes all out, the property damage would be immeasurable. On the other hand, if he fires smaller, concentrated blasts, the impact might kill the villain, and that's not something he can afford either. For this to be a legitimate arrest, The Impaler has to be captured alive and brought to justice.

The ideal scenario then would be for Katsuki to overpower his opponent through brute force. Then he can blast at those shitty arms to render The Impaler's weapons out of commission while keeping the collateral damage to a minimum.

The Impaler is all skin and bones, long unkempt hair hanging in greasy black locks against a pallid face that looks like it hasn't seen daylight in ages. Katsuki is obviously miles ahead in terms of pure physical strength and combat ability.

It's the villain's Quirk that seems troublesome. Katsuki knows little about it, and he's wary to close the distance between them.

The Impaler can shoot the spiky black protrusions on his arms like projectiles, and he can extend them at will when they're still connected to his skin. The mechanics seem straightforward enough, but Katsuki has a nagging feeling that there's more to it than that. It's too easy. How can it be too easy if this villain is top priority?

From somewhere behind him, he hears the telltale crackle of ice as Todoroki gives chase. Shit! Katsuki's got to finish this before that asshole interferes again. There's no time to overthink!

Throwing caution to the wind, Katsuki fires a series of small blasts on the ground between him and his opponent, using the resulting smoke and debris as cover as he hurtles forward, ignited palms behind his back.

The Impaler launches his black tendrils at him, but Katsuki is expecting it. He redirects his palms to face the ground and the explosion pushes him skyward, safely away from the projectiles. He then dives down head first through the smoke toward the villain, who turns around to escape in a panic.

Oh no, he fucking doesn't!

Katsuki accelerates, and when he's close enough, he brings his palms in front of him and detonates a small blast between them. The shockwave rolls toward the fleeing villain and he tumbles. He tries to scramble away on all fours, but Katsuki drops to the ground and tackles him, planting his knees on the villain's back to keep him face down against the concrete.

The Impaler tries to activate his Quirk as Katsuki pins his wrists, but Katsuki mercilessly scorches both his forearms before he can do anything. The Impaler shrieks in pain, thrashing wildly against Katsuki's weight. Katsuki doesn't give a shit. The fucker had killed six people; he deserves to get hurt.

Then so suddenly it takes Katsuki off guard, the villain stops struggling and falls quiet. Just as he begins to think that The Impaler has passed out from the pain, a high cackle rises from beneath him, making the hair on his neck stand on end.

Fucking psycho has lost his mind! Katsuki snarls at him to shut the fuck up, but The Impaler talks over him loudly, boldly, sounding like a completely different person than the one who had been howling in pain just a moment ago.

The Impaler's voice drips with mad excitement. He has gotten caught, he says, it's too bad. But it looks like there's opportunity still for one more victim. His seventh. His last and his best.

Katsuki tightens his grip on the villain's wrists and deliberately presses his weight against the scorched skin of his arms, earning himself a disturbing sound that's halfway between a cry of pain and maniacal laughter.

Despite himself, Katsuki grows uncertain. He surveys the captive trapped beneath his knees. There's no way this asshole could still grow those spiky black shit with his arms burned so badly, is there?

As though reading his mind, The Impaler cackles louder. Does The Explosion Hero Bakugo know his Quirk at all?

Katsuki feels his blood run cold. No, he doesn't know. Even if the police had any pertinent information on The Impaler's abilities, it wouldn't have been shared to someone who isn't officially assigned to the case. Katsuki doesn't know. He doesn't fucking know anything.

His instinct immediately screams at him to put some distance between himself and the villain, but he hesitates. If he lets The Impaler go and Todoroki comes to the rescue, then his ranking… but fuck! If there's something more sinister to this villain's Quirk that he doesn't know about, he could be in serious danger.

An image of his wife and daughter flashes across his mind. Shit. He can't die. He can't leave them. Not yet. Not so soon.

Katsuki decides then that his life is more important than his ranking, and he moves to jump off The Impaler's back. But his hesitation has caused him to be a split second too late.

It's hair, Katsuki finally realizes. The black tendrils on the villain's forearms were hair, and he has a head full of it unharmed and unrestrained.

Everything seems to go in slow motion as Katsuki witnesses The Impaler's unkempt greasy locks twist together and harden into a single deadly spear. It extends toward him faster than he can leap away, ripping through the front of his jacket, piercing the right side of his stomach, and exiting through his back.

Blood spills out of Katsuki's mouth and his vision immediately darkens. As his consciousness fades, his thoughts go to Ochaco, and he wonders if she'll ever find it in her to forgive the memory of him.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

THE END!

JUST KIDDING, THERE'S STILL MORE TO COME! HAHAHA I'M NOT EVIL.

Thanks to everyone who has followed this story!

Wow, this chapter is the longest one yet. Nine and a half pages! A whopping 4,027 words! It's also my first time writing a battle scene, and the whole while, I felt stupid. Hahaha. I didn't know my vocabulary was so limited until I had used 'propel' three times in about as many paragraphs. Good thing is so handy.


	18. Chapter 17: The Best Heroes

Thanks for the reviews, guys! Really appreciated! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 17: The Best Heroes**

Deku feels his smile falter at the look Kimiko's giving him. She's not even four, and yet she already has an intimidating vibe so similar to the one that had terrorized him for many years in his childhood.

She scowls at Deku from beside the nursery attendant, who's trying to get her to go grab her things and leave with him. Her Mommy had sent Deku to pick Kimiko up. Doesn't she recognize him?

Kimiko redirects her scowl to the attendant. Sure, she knows Deku. He's friends with her Mommy, and she always hears her Daddy talking about him, calling him a little sh—

The attendant talks loudly over Kimiko, laughing awkwardly. She tells Deku that Kimiko's an intelligent, observant child who picks up a lot of what the adults around her say, even when she's not supposed to.

Deku tries to appease the embarrassed attendant. It's all right, really, he says, and he means it. He's had more than two decades to get used to Kacchan calling him all sorts of things.

Kimiko pipes up that her parents had told her never to leave the nursery with anyone other than them, even if it's someone she knows, and the attendant beams brightly. She praises the little girl for taking the lesson to heart. It's very important, especially for the daughter of two public figures. But right now, Kimiko can rest easy, her Mommy had called to confirm that Deku will be coming to pick her up.

Deku fishes out Uravity's pro hero license from his pocket and shows it to Kimiko. He had already presented it to the attendant, but it looks like the little girl won't be satisfied simply taking their word for it.

See, he tells her gently, he has her Mommy's ID. She'd given it to him so he can prove that she'd sent him. That's her in the picture, isn't it?

Kimiko nods, recognizing Ochaco's happy face in the card. Her scowl lets up a little and she asks him where her parents are. They almost always come late, especially when it's her Daddy picking her up, but it has never happened before that they didn't come at all.

Deku forces a smile. Something came up at work, he says. Ochaco is just a little busy right now; she'll come get Kimiko later.

He doesn't mention Kacchan on purpose. He doesn't want to lie any more than he has to, but he can't reveal the truth either. It's not his place to tell Kimiko what had happened to her father. Besides, she's too young; would she even understand?

Deku changes the topic. Is there anything in particular Kimiko would like to eat? Her Mommy had given him permission to get her whatever she wants for dinner.

Kimiko's face lights up and suddenly she's a lot friendlier. She asks if she really can have anything, and when he confirms it with a grin, she runs off to her shoe locker to change out of her indoor shoes. The attendant offers to help, but Kimiko haughtily claims that she'll do fine by herself.

Ochaco hadn't actually given Deku permission to let Kimiko eat what she wants. In fact, she hadn't really said anything. She had barely managed to make the phone call to the nursery before she went back into a stupor that was only occasionally broken by her tears. Deku had even had to get her license from her wallet himself.

Not that anyone could blame her, of course. Deku himself had felt close to hysterics when they got the call about Kacchan, and it has been a long time since they were really friends. He can't imagine how much worse Ochaco must be feeling.

Her knees had given out and the phone had fallen from her hand mid-call. She had started crying before he could ask her what happened, and he had had to take over the conversation with the man on the other end of the line, who had turned out to be an officer from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. There had been an incident; pro hero Bakugo had been taken down by a villain.

Deku would have cried too, but he and Ochaco couldn't both break down. Somebody had to stay strong, so Deku had steeled his nerves and helped Ochaco manage what was still under her control. Kimiko had to be picked up from nursery. Kacchan's parents had to be informed.

Ochaco had looked so lost and broken; Deku wishes he could have lived his life without seeing that. He hadn't known what to say to her. What could he say? Everything will be all right? But that's a lie. How can everything be all right when Kacchan is…

Kimiko tugs at his wrist. She has put on her outdoor shoes and slung her backpack around her shoulders. She hands Deku a face mask and asks for his help to put it on; her parents have had her start wearing one in public.

Deku drops to one knee to secure the straps behind her ears, then he pulls out a similar mask from his pocket and covers his own nose and mouth. Standing up and brushing dirt off his pants, he dips his head politely to the nursery attendant and heads out with Kimiko.

She wants to have omurice for dinner and then ice cream after, so Deku whips out his phone and does a quick search for a place nearby that has those on the menu. They end up at a small café near the station. When they enter, the waitress gives a start, obviously recognizing him despite the mask, but she's polite and doesn't make a fuss. Deku is grateful; he's not really in the mood to entertain fans right now.

The waitress leads them to a table near the back of the establishment. Kimiko takes the couch against the wall, practically bouncing onto it, as Deku sits down on the chair across, his back to the door. He orders katsu curry for himself and Kimiko pipes up with her own order of omurice.

Kimiko's legs dangle a whole foot off the floor, and the back of her shoes make dull thuds against the wooden base of the couch as she swings them back and forth. Deku tries to engage her in conversation, asking her if she has made any friends in nursery, but she seems more interested in the bottles of condiments on the table.

She does turn to pay attention to him though when he mentions that he and her Daddy had met in nursery themselves. They used to be neighbors and went to the same nursery, then the same kindergarten, and all the way up to high school.

Kimiko asks if they were friends when they were children, and Deku hesitates. Well, he and Kacchan played a lot together, so yeah, he guesses they were… a little, maybe, kind of.

She frowns, confused at his indecision, and he chuckles, scratching the back of his head. He tells her honestly that he has always considered Kacchan a good friend, even if Kacchan doesn't seem to reciprocate the thought.

He then urges Kimiko to also tell him about her friends in nursery. If she's anything like Kacchan, then she would certainly be the natural focal point of any group. Sure enough, she shares that there are a few children in school who follow her around and play with her. They're her friends… kind of.

Kind of? Deku feels himself panic a little. Kimiko isn't a bully like her father had been, is she? There has to be some of Ochaco's genes in there to prevent that from happening.

Deku prods, and pouting, Kimiko mumbles that lately she's been feeling bummed. All of the other children her age at the nursery already have their Quirks, but she doesn't yet. They all keep showing off, and she hates it!

Kimiko puffs her cheeks out in annoyance, and Deku finds it jarring to see Ochaco's expression on Kacchan's features.

He gives her a reassuring smile and shares with her that he understands how she feels, because he himself hadn't gotten a Quirk until much, much later in his life. Kimiko should try to be more patient; her Quirk will come out eventually, and with parents like hers, it's sure to be a great one.

Kimiko holds out her tiny hands, showing him soft pads on her fingers similar to the ones on Ochaco's. Her parents think she'll have the same Quirk as her Mommy, and she can't wait for it to show! She'll make herself fly, and then it's the other kids who'll be jealous of what she can do!

She grins viciously, her hands balled into little fists, and Deku laughs a little weakly. This is Kacchan's daughter, all right.

Their food arrives then. Deku prepares to eat, but pauses when he sees Kimiko just frowning at her omurice. He asks her what's wrong, and she grumbles that the egg doesn't have pictures. When her Daddy makes omurice at home, he draws pictures on the egg.

Deku pulls Kimiko's dish over to himself and squirts an image in ketchup. When he slides it back to her, her face lights up. It's All Might, she squeals happily. Kimiko recognizes him from the toys displayed on a shelf in her parents' bedroom. Then she pouts and complains to Deku that her Daddy refuses to let her play with them.

Deku chuckles and tells her toys like that aren't for playing. She'll understand when she finds herself a favorite hero.

Kimiko grows smug then and declares that she already has a favorite hero. Two of them, in fact—Uravity and Bakugo! Her Mommy can save any civilian, and her Daddy can win against any villain. Her parents are the best heroes!

Deku gives her another smile, but this time it doesn't quite reach his eyes. He remembers that Kimiko doesn't know yet what has happened to Kacchan. She doesn't know yet that at the end of tonight, she'll be going home not with her mother like he'd promised, but with her grandparents. Ochaco isn't fit to take care of a little kid right now, and Kacchan is…

Kimiko happily digs into her food, but Deku has lost his appetite.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

It's just a short chapter for now. I decided to split this and the next one into two separate chapters, because it would have been too long otherwise.

Next chapter, what has really happened to Katsuki?


	19. Chapter 18: An Idiot With A Death Wish

Omg, thank you for the reviews! And I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Read on to find out what has happened to Katsuki!

* * *

 **Chapter 18: An Idiot With A Death Wish**

Somebody wedges something hard between his teeth. What's that they're saying? He can hear, but he can't make out the words. It's as though he's listening from underwater. The sounds travel so slowly, and when they reach him, they're no more than echoes.

He tries to dislodge the thing in his mouth so he can complain, but his body isn't doing what he's commanding it to. He can't even move the muscles in his face.

Then the pain comes, and he involuntarily bites into the block of wood between his teeth, his voice gurgling into a scream. He thrashes but there's something, or maybe someone, putting their weight on his legs, keeping him still.

His fingers try desperately to grip something, anything, and he doesn't feel them start to bleed as they scrape roughly against the concrete beneath him. He doesn't feel the tears that escape the corners of his eyes. The pain is all he's aware of. It's all he can feel.

He can't take it. The heat consumes him entirely. His whole body is burning. He'll die. If this goes on, he'll die. He'll die! He'll die! He'll…

Katsuki's eyes shoot open.

He wakes up disoriented, his brow covered in cold sweat. It takes a while for his vision to adjust to the darkness, and when it does, he sees a bare ceiling straight ahead and machines with blinking screens in the peripheries. He begins to hear the beeping sounds they make as he gradually regains his senses.

He takes a deep breath. His abdomen protests harshly at the slight movement, but the pain is of a different kind than the one he had been dreaming about.

That was the dream, right? Not this one?

His body feels sore and heavy. He experiments with moving just the fingers of one hand, and as he lifts them, he becomes aware of something clipped to his index finger. With difficulty, he directs his gaze downward and sees what looks like a large clothespin with a small screen on its face.

Before Katsuki can dwell on what it must be, his attention is caught by something else. Beside his hand, there's someone asleep, their head cradled in their arms on the mattress while the rest of their body dangles from a plastic chair beside the bed.

It's not Ochaco, or either of Katsuki's parents. It's not even Kirishima. It's fucking Deku.

Katsuki tries to push himself up on his pillows a little. Bad move. He almost passes out again in pain at the effort. He sucks in a breath, and Deku rouses from the sound, lifting his head groggily from his arms. When he sees Katsuki awake, he starts and leaps out of his chair, reaching for the nurse call button.

Katsuki's attempt to stop him comes out as an unintelligible grunt. Still, Deku seems to understand and his hand moves away from the button. Instead, he fixes a look of concern at him. Is Kacchan really awake now?

He manages to knit his sweaty brow in annoyance and Deku lets out a chuckle, obviously relieved. Kacchan has been flitting in and out of consciousness since his surgery three days ago, but until now, he hasn't been responsive. They weren't sure when he would wake up for real.

Katsuki lets his eyes wander and registers that he's in a hospital room, most likely in intensive care judging by the sheer number of complex paraphernalia surrounding his bed.

He doesn't remember having been brought to the hospital or waking up before now. The last thing he remembers is chasing The Impaler down a narrow alley and then… oh, right, he got stabbed. Impaled, actually. He had been reckless and let himself be bested by a villain.

He distinctly feels the sharp throbbing on his stomach, where The Impaler's hardened hair had entered his body, and his back, where it had left. How had he survived that? He had been sure he was a goner. All of The Impaler's other victims had died straight away, after all.

He drags heavy fingers to his stomach to feel the wound, but he's covered with a blanket and a hospital gown, and his mind is too clouded to figure out how to slip his hand underneath.

Again, Deku seems to understand what Katsuki is trying to do and tells him in a reassuring tone that his wounds have been sealed shut and bandaged.

Dropping back down to his chair, Deku lets out a heavy breath and gives Katsuki a tired smile. It annoys Katsuki even through the fog in his brain. He doesn't have the strength to do anything about it though, so he just closes his eyes in hopes that Deku would take the hint and leave him alone.

But no, the fucker starts talking.

Kacchan got lucky, he says. The Impaler had always stabbed his victims from the back, hitting a major artery just to the left of the spine and causing death from blood loss within a matter of minutes.

In his case though, The Impaler couldn't see from where he had been pinned to the ground so he had missed the artery he was aiming for. It was only by a few millimeters, but that had meant the difference between life and instant death for Katsuki.

The Impaler had still nicked his liver, so Katsuki had still bled out massively. Thankfully, Todoroki's team had charged into the alley only a few seconds later. His sidekicks had subdued the villain and called for an ambulance, while Todoroki himself had performed emergency first-aid on Katsuki.

When none of the safer methods could stop the bleeding, Todoroki had used his own Quirk to cauterize the larger of Katsuki's wounds, burning it shut in a desperate effort to keep him alive until he could be brought to the hospital.

Katsuki realizes then that his dream hadn't actually been a dream. It was a real memory of the pain he must have felt when Todoroki had burnt the hole in his stomach closed. He must have been partly conscious while it was happening.

Todoroki had saved his life. Katsuki should be appalled, even offended, that such a thing had happened, but right now, he can't find it in himself to care. He doesn't care that his pride as a hero had basically been trampled on, or that after this incident he'd be lucky to even have a career to go back to.

Right now, none of that matters. He's just relieved to be alive.

When Katsuki opens his eyes again, he sees that Deku's smile has disappeared. He's looking at him with a solemn expression; the fists gripping the metal handrail on the side of the bed are pale and shaking.

If it hadn't been Todoroki who had come to the rescue, if it had been someone without a Fire Quirk, then…

Deku trails off, but Katsuki doesn't need him to continue. He gets it. If it hadn't been Todoroki, if it had been literally anyone else, there would have been no way to prevent Katsuki from bleeding to death. He would have died, and he wouldn't be in a hospital right now, he would be in a casket at his own funeral.

Katsuki feels a chill run up his spine at the thought, and the fog in his brain clears in an instant.

He has done a lot of stupid, reckless things in his life, but this one definitely takes the cake. He had been so desperate and in such a rush to prove himself that he had gone against everything his hero training had taught him. He went after a dangerous villain, not only without authorization, but also without finding out first what exactly he was going to be up against.

No matter how he looks at it now, he had acted like an idiot with a death wish. What had he been thinking? How could he have let himself be blinded by his ambition that badly?

If he had died, then that would have been the end, literally. He would never have had a second chance at his career; he would have died at #8 and forever be remembered in history books as the loser who had thrown his life away for nothing, a warning to other heroes on what not to be.

And what would have happened to his family then? Ochaco would have become a widow so young. She would have had to raise their daughter all on her own, and Kimiko would have grown up having only vague memories of her father.

Katsuki takes a shuddering breath, which turns into a hiss as the wounds on his back and abdomen sting painfully. Fuck, he feels so raw.

Deku is quick to notice his pain. In a slightly panicked voice, he asserts that he really has to call the nurse in now. Katsuki doesn't protest anymore. Soon a doctor is by his bed gauging his condition, and a nurse is injecting fluid into the IV drip attached to his arm. He feels his skin itch as the substance crawls up his veins and spreads.

It's pain medication, they inform him. It'll make him sleepy, but the dose has been adjusted now that he's regained consciousness, so he should be able to wake up again in a few hours.

Katsuki grunts in acknowledgement, already feeling the drowsiness return. He fights it back just long enough to mumble that he wants to see Ochaco and Kimiko. Deku assures him that they'll be by his side when he wakes up next, and Katsuki lets himself slip back into deep slumber.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

The scene between Deku and Katsuki has changed a lot from how I had first imagined it would go. I was originally going to have Deku act stern because Katsuki had let himself be a reckless idiot, but as I was writing, I realized that he would have to be an asshole to act that way to someone who had barely managed to escape death.

Anyway, this arc has been the most unpleasant to do research on, since I had to read up on gory facts like what happens if you get stabbed and what happens if you burn your wound closed. Ughhh, I tell you, the Google image results are not pleasant.

1) If you get stabbed in the abdomen, the most likely cause of death would be blood loss, the rate of which would depend on where you get hit. The abdominal aorta, located to the back and left of the spine is the largest artery in the abdomen and the most dangerous place to be stabbed. If the weapon is thrust deep and causes the aorta to burst, you could die in minutes. That's how The Impaler's victims had all died. Getting hit in the liver also poses a high risk of hemorrhage, but there is a higher chance of survival. There are other dangers, though, which I will touch on in the next chapter.

2) Do not try cauterization at home! If you find yourself bleeding massively, try applying direct pressure to the area instead. Cauterization, which makes use of heat to seal off a wound, is highly dangerous because it will leave your wound susceptible to infection. Not to mention, it's painful as fuck. I wanted Todoroki to have a key role in Katsuki's rescue though, which is why I decided to include a little suspension of disbelief and have him cauterize Katsuki's wound even though it probably isn't the best option.

As always, comments are appreciated. Let me know your thoughts!

Next chapter, where is Ochaco in all of this?


	20. Chapter 19: Never Again

Thank you for all the honest reactions I have been receiving! Your readership and the reviews you leave mean a lot to me! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Never Again**

In the afternoon of what should have been a normal day, Ochaco had received a phone call informing her that her husband had been struck down by a villain.

Katsuki had sustained grave injuries and had been rushed to the operating room for emergency surgery; there was no guarantee he would survive. She was asked to come down to the hospital while there was still time.

All of a sudden, she had felt immensely weak. Her knees were jelly. She could not hold herself up, and the next thing she knew, she was on the floor. Deku had picked up the phone she had dropped, continuing the conversation with the man who had brought the bad news. Another colleague was kneeling beside her, trying to calm her down, but Ochaco could not register what she was being told. She couldn't hear. She couldn't breathe.

Katsuki had been struck down by a villain. He was in critical condition. They weren't sure if he would survive. He was dying. Katsuki was dying. He was leaving her.

The wail that came out of Ochaco was raw and heartrending. She clutched at her chest with shaking fists. She was suffocating. She needed help. Katsuki was dying, and she didn't know what to do.

Ochaco doesn't remember what happened next. It's all a blur now. Somehow, she had ended up at the hospital, in a waiting room in the intensive care unit.

She remembers that she continued to sit there for a long time, unaware of her surroundings. She didn't notice when Deku left her side, or when Kirishima took his place, or even when Katsuki's parents joined them. She just sat in some kind of trance, the words of the doctors who had attended to Katsuki swirling in her mind.

The weapon had entered Katsuki's body through the front of his abdomen and pierced all the way through to the back, puncturing a section of his intestine and his liver. Todoroki had limited blood loss by sealing the entry wound with fire, but an emergency surgery had been needed to manage the massive internal bleeding, as well as the contamination in Katsuki's abdominal cavity caused by bile leaking from the laceration in his liver.

The damage was too great to be fixed all at once. The surgeons closed up Katsuki's abdomen temporarily after the first operation and placed him under close surveillance, hooked up to machines on all sides. If his condition improved, he would be placed under a second surgery. But if he didn't stabilize…

Ochaco had never been more terrified in her life than during the nearly 30 hours she had to wait before Katsuki was finally declared stable enough for reconstruction surgery.

Katsuki's parents, who had taken in Kimiko for the meantime, had urged Ochaco to come home with them so she could rest. She had been keeping vigil for close to two days already, falling into disturbed naps right in her chair and taking nothing but sips of the energy drink that Kirishima had bought for her.

Waiting uselessly at the hospital was not doing anything for Katsuki, she knew that, but she couldn't bear to just leave. What if something happened while she was away?

It was only after the second surgery was finished and Katsuki was returned to a room in the ICU for recuperation that Ochaco had let herself be dragged away from the hospital. By then, she was already pale and dizzy from lack of proper rest, and Mitsuki had scolded her severely for it. If Ochaco got sick too, how would that be good for anybody?

To ease her mind, Deku and Kirishima volunteered to take turns watching over Katsuki while she was gone, and though Ochaco felt that they had already done more than enough, she allowed herself to accept their offer.

Deku had dropped everything in his packed schedule in order to help out. Ochaco hadn't been in a fit state to talk to the police, so he had done that for her. He had also picked up her daughter, took care of informing Katsuki's parents, and entertained their other friends when they dropped by to offer support.

Most importantly, he had pulled the strings available to him as the #5 hero to induce a complete media blackout on Katsuki's involvement in the incident, making sure that none of the Bakugos would have to worry about being harrassed by the press on top of everything else.

Kirishima, on the other hand, had stayed with Ochaco the whole time she kept vigil, only leaving for a few hours after the first night to take a shower and shop for supplies. He had returned with food and a blanket for her, and whenever she broke down, he rubbed her back and handed her fresh tissues.

Katsuki is lucky to have such wonderful friends; Ochaco has to remember to pay them back somehow, after all this is over.

For two days after his second surgery, Katsuki had a tube down his nose to drain secretions in his stomach. During this period, he would seem to become conscious from time to time, but he remained unresponsive, his eyes glazed over.

Ochaco had been alarmed, but the doctors told her it was normal. Katsuki was being administered heavy doses of pain medication, which kept him sedated. He would be in intense discomfort otherwise.

She just had to be patient. Katsuki would wake up in his own time.

On the third day, the tube to his stomach was finally removed, although the one up his bladder remained.

And today, on the fourth day since the second surgery, Ochaco wakes up from a night of uneasy sleep to a text from Deku informing her that Katsuki has finally regained consciousness for real. He's looking for her and their daughter.

Ochaco clutches her phone to her chest, tears of relief welling up in her eyes. She stifles her hiccups so Kimiko won't wake. She's asleep beside Ochaco; they're sharing a futon in Katsuki's old room at his parents' house.

Carefully, she leaves the futon and the room, going downstairs to the kitchen where she can hear Masaru and Mitsuki already beginning their day. It's barely six in the morning, way too early to wake up on a weekend. Mitsuki had been stern with her about overexerting herself, but it looks like they themselves haven't been getting proper sleep.

When they see her face stained with tears, they both fear the worst. Masaru stiffens, his back rigid in his seat. All the blood drains from Mitsuki's face, and she has to press a hand to the counter to keep herself steady. But Ochaco only has good news. She flies into her mother-in-law's arms and embraces her tightly, all propriety forgotten.

Katsuki's safe! He's woken up! He's alive and he'll be all right.

Ochaco sobs against Mitsuki, who has also become unable to control her sniffling. Over at the dining table, Masaru removes his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose, the tension in his shoulders gone.

* * *

When they arrive at the hospital, Katsuki has been moved from the ICU into a regular private room. The tube up his bladder is gone; he's being encouraged to move about as much as he can, with help of course.

A nurse is showing him how to self-administer pain medication using a pump connected to his IV drip. He looks impatient, like he always does, and Ochaco thinks it's a good sign. She's missed that scowl.

Kimiko immediately calls out to her father as soon as they're at the door of his room, but she looks to Ochaco for permission before doing anything else. She had been sternly warned that Katsuki is hurt and she should behave so he would get better. Ochaco lets her hand go with a reminder to be gentle, and Kimiko half-runs to Katsuki's bedside.

Kimiko hasn't seen her father in days. They had told her that he had gotten hurt at work, and that he was in the hospital trying to recover, but Ochaco had opted not to let Kimiko visit until Katsuki has regained consciousness. She wanted to spare her daughter from having to see him as he was, seemingly lifeless on the bed connected to all sorts of machines. Besides, the situation was hard enough on her without having to worry about taking care of a child too.

Katsuki doesn't have the strength yet to return Kimiko's greeting as enthusiastically, but he carefully sits up, the nurse helping to adjust the bed so his back has support, and he holds out his hand to her. She takes it into her little ones and Katsuki smiles. He missed her, he says in a voice hoarse from unuse.

As Mitsuki and Masaru join Kimiko by Katsuki's bedside, Ochaco talks to the nurse about his condition. He's past any immediate danger, but there are still some things they have to watch out for: infections, blood clots, possible swelling in the knees and ankles. The hospital staff will see Katsuki through all the steps he needs to take for a full recovery, but it will help for his family to be aware.

As an aside, the nurse asks for Ochaco's assistance to make sure that Katsuki takes his pain management seriously. Toughing it out will be detrimental; he has to report his pain honestly and take the appropriate action to treat it.

Ochaco thanks the nurse and goes over to her husband. He's scowling again because Mitsuki, after an initial tearful greeting, has begun to chew him out. He's an idiot, Mitsuki's telling him, he really is! If he doesn't watch out, he would kill his parents and his poor wife from worrying about his idiot ass!

Katsuki grimaces. Yeah, yeah, he gets it. Can the old hag shut up already? He'd just gone through something traumatic. Doesn't he get a pass this time?

Kimiko giggles. Her Daddy is getting scolded like a little kid!

Mitsuki and Katsuki stop their banter to look at her affectionately. Mitsuki ruffles Kimiko's hair and tells her to grow up more gracefully than her idiot father, but there's no real hostility in her tone.

Ochaco takes the chair next to Katsuki's bed as Mitsuki moves to the table against the wall to arrange the food and flowers they've brought with them. Husband and wife share a long, meaningful look, but neither of them says a word. They'll talk later, in private.

Katsuki's parents and Kimiko leave after lunch, and as soon as Ochaco is left alone with Katsuki, she takes him in an embrace as tight as she can manage without putting pressure on his wounds. He returns it with all the strength he can muster, which isn't much, and he kind of just drapes his arms around her back heavily.

He's already whispering apologies in her ear and his eyes are wet with emotion. He had almost died and left her. He's sorry. He's sorry he had kept things from her and ended up doing something stupid. She must have been really worried. He's sorry for making her worry. He's a jackass. He doesn't deserve her. Fuck, he's really sorry, he doesn't know how he can make up for it.

The handrail of the bed presses against Ochaco's stomach as they hug, and her arms are straining, but she stubbornly refuses to let him go. She keeps her face buried in the crook of his neck, taking in his scent. She closes her eyes and presses light kisses on his skin, tasting salt as her tears mix with his sweat.

Deku had relayed to Ochaco everything the police had reported. Katsuki had interefered in a mission he shouldn't have been involved in. He had assaulted Todoroki and gone after the villain himself. He hadn't been present at any of the briefings; he hadn't known what the villain could do, and this is the result. He had let his guard down and the villain had taken advantage.

Todoroki isn't going to file a formal complaint against Katsuki, although he had had to get his eyes checked after the stun grenade that Katsuki had launched so close to his face. He's a kind man, thank goodness. He had even been humble enough to actually apologize to Ochaco.

The burn scar from the cauterization would heal ugly, he had said, and Ochaco had replied that she wouldn't have cared if he had chopped off Katsuki's arm if that's what it took to keep him alive. Then she had bowed to him deeply, thanking him for saving her husband. Their family would forever be grateful. Todoroki had looked awkward at her formality, but acknowledged it with a small bow of his own, leaving her his number and asking to be kept updated on Katsuki's condition.

To be honest, if there was anyone Ochaco blamed for all this, it would be herself. She had known that something was up with Katsuki. She had noticed that he hadn't been sleeping well. She had sensed that he was hiding something from her. But she had let him deal with it alone.

She should have pried it out of him. She should have forced him to tell her what was on his mind. Even if they had ended up fighting about it, even if Katsuki had ended up walking out on her again, that would have been better than this. Anything would have been better than this.

If Katsuki had died, she would never have been able to forgive herself.

Never do that again, she whispers against Katsuki's skin. He should never throw himself into something that reckless again. Her heart wouldn't be able to take any more. She wouldn't survive a second time.

Never again, he promises, tipping his head a bit to the side so he can kiss her cheek. He's learned his lesson. Fuck his career, he doesn't care anymore. If Ochaco wants, he'll quit being a pro hero altogether and be a stay-at-home dad. Fuck everything, really, all he wants right now is to spend every second possible with his family and make sure he stays alive long enough to bully the punks Kimiko will date in the future.

Ochaco laughs through her tears, pretty sure Katsuki will be taking back those words once he's better. She pulls away from the embrace, leaving one last kiss on Katsuki's cheek. He's pale and worn but he's smiling. Everything will be all right.

She pulls a chair and drops down on it, leaning her head against the angled mattress of Katsuki's bed. She takes his hand and he closes his fingers over hers, and Ochaco finds her heart finally at peace again.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

If there are any medical students or practicioners here, I am so sorry if I messed up! Hahaha. I read up as much as I could, but there are some things you just can't find out from Google, so I had to take liberties with some stuff. Haha. But not everything is made up. Here are some things I learned:

1) Laparotomy is a major surgery that involves an incision being made on the abdominal wall. This gives surgeons access to the organs inside, enabling them to identify and repair problems such as bleeding, blockage, or contamination. Not all abdominal injuries require laparotomy, but in Katsuki's case, he was impaled and there would have been no question that his insides were messed up.

2) Like what I wrote in the previous chapter's notes, the most dangerous part of the abdomen to be hit is the abdominal aorta, which in Katsuki's case was thankfully unharmed, but his liver was still punctured. Penetrating injury to the liver poses huge risk of hemorrhage, but not only that, it can cause contamination within the usually sterile environment of the abdominal cavity if bile leaks out. That's what happened to Katsuki, so emergency laparotomy was performed on him, the first stage of which would be damage control.

3) The surgeons would have identified where he was bleeding from and close those internal wounds, then they would have managed the contamination. In some cases, like in Katsuki's, the physiological damage would be too great, it has to be given time to reverse, so the abdomen is closed temporarily (like covered with a mesh of some sort) and the patient is taken to the ICU for the meantime. This is the most critical stage (if I'm not mistaken) because most people die not from the operation itself but from metabolic failure.

4) Ideally after 24 to 48 hours, the patient would be stable enough to undergo the next surgery, which is reconstruction. The temporary closure device is removed, the abdominal contents are re-examined and additional repairs are made if necessary, and then the abdomen is closed back up, after which the patient is returned to the ICU to recuperate. During this time, the patient may have a tube down their nose to their stomach to drain secretions and a catether up their bladder to drain urine, but they will finally be off the ventilator (aka breathing machine).

This story is almost at an end. There is just one more arc and four more chapters left, and then it'll be over. I'm half-excited to finally post the ending, and half-sad, because I will miss this story a lot. It may be just a fanfic, but I have poured a lot of time and effort in making it the best fanfic I can possibly write. This version of Kacchako's future (and Kimiko) will forever be a treasured headcanon for me, no matter how canon ends up developing their characters and their future.

Next chapter, what are the consequences of this incident to Katsuki's career?


	21. Chapter 20: The Same Answer Over & Over

This fic has seen a sudden rise in reviews, and I am grateful! Thank you to everyone who reads this!

* * *

 **Chapter 20: The Same Answer Over and Over**

Katsuki had claimed he would quit as a pro hero if that's what Ochaco wants, but of course that isn't happening.

First of all, it's not what Ochaco wants, and second, no matter what he says, there is absolutely no way Katsuki can just give up being a hero, even after such a close brush with death. It had just been the morphine speaking, probably.

So when his employer visits him in the hospital on the third day after he regains consciousness, Katsuki is on edge. He knows he had committed a serious violation. He had lied to be granted medical leave, butted in on a mission that hadn't been assigned to him, and worst of all, he had botched it. He had attacked another hero, too. The Hero Public Safety Commission hasn't paid him a visit yet, but he expects it's only a matter of time.

His employer is a kind asshole, but what Katsuki had done is not something he can overlook. He has to set a precedent for the other heroes under his wing, so Katsuki is being officially terminated from the agency.

Katsuki takes the news in stride; it's not like he hadn't already figured this would happen. He nods stiffly in acknowledgement, then after a long moment debating with his pride, he deigns to offer an apology. He's sorry for the trouble he has caused the agency, and he's grateful for everything that they have done for him over his many years of employment.

His employer, or rather his former employer, gives him a warm, almost fatherly smile. For what it's worth, he says, he's sad to be letting one of his best heroes go. He wishes Katsuki a speedy recovery and a smooth transition to the next phase of his career.

That next phase will take a long time coming.

* * *

After a week of recuperation, Katsuki is discharged from the hospital to continue his recovery at home. He's encouraged to do exercises, but nothing too strenuous and definitely no heavy lifting until further notice, or else his wound will open back up and Ochaco will kill him herself.

The nurse procures a wheelchair to take Katsuki from his room to the hospital entrance where his father is waiting with the car. He balks. Fuck that, he'll walk! He can walk! The media blackout has been lifted; members of the press and plain onlookers are sure to be waiting at the lobby for a peek at Katsuki, and he would rather blow himself up right now than be seen in public on a fucking wheelchair.

The nurse insists. The walk to the lobby is too long for him to manage in his current condition. He still feels weak, right? There's nothing to be ashamed of in getting some help.

Katsuki growls his refusal. No fucking way. He'll fucking walk, end of discussion. He gets to his feet and starts making his way, with difficulty, to the door, but Ochaco calls his name in a tone that makes him freeze in his tracks and turn back.

Get on the wheelchair, she tells him calmly, her face bland. He opens his mouth to argue again, but she narrows her eyes at him dangerously. Katsuki will sit his ass down on the goddamn wheelchair right now or she'll use his Quirk on him and carry him out of the hospital in her arms. It's his choice to make.

Katsuki sits the fuck down, his face burning. He glares at the nurse who's trying, unsuccessfully, not to look too amused. He tries to look as intimidating as possible as they roll him through the corridors down to the lobby. As expected, they're bombarded by camera flashes and hastily thrown questions from eager reporters, which they ignore. Katsuki makes a point to stand up at the hospital entrance and walk the final few meters to the car waiting in the driveway. Ochaco clucks disapprovingly, but she gently wipes the cold sweat from his brow anyway once they're inside.

A few days after he gets home, Katsuki finally receives a memo from the Hero Public Safety Commission. His hero license is being suspended indefinitely. He is requested to make a personal appearance to surrender his license and attend a one-on-one with a Commissioner who will brief him on the steps he has to take in order to get it back.

Katsuki will be spending the next three to six months attending seminars. A lot of them. There will be rigorous written examinations so he can't bullshit his way through. He will also have to complete 60 hours of community service, and then once he gets his doctor's approval, he will undergo a physical test to ensure that he's still fit for the job.

It's a goddamn lot, but Kasuki can't really complain. He had gotten himself into this, so now he has to face the consequences. And to be honest, it's not all that bad. There are still plenty of things to be thankful for.

For one, the public has not been made aware of his suspension or the details regarding his injury. The official statement given by the police, his agency, and the Hero Public Safety Commission is that pro hero Bakugo has to take an extended break due to injuries sustained during a mission. No mention is made of the fact that his involvement in the mission had been unauthorized, nor of the fact that he had been laid off by his agency.

The decision had been made not for Katsuki's sake, but so everyone else can save face. It would cause bad publicity if word got out that a pro hero had gone rogue under the watch of the Commission, and that the police and his agency of employment had been unable to do anything to prevent it.

It works to Katsuki's benefit though, so he doesn't really give a shit about whether it was intended to help him or someone else.

Also, his former employer had been generous enough to give Katsuki separation pay. It's only a small portion of the amount he should have gotten given the number of years he had worked for the agency, but really, considering that he had been terminated for a heavy violation, he should be happy he's getting anything at all.

* * *

The money goes to their moving expenses.

Katsuki and Ochaco have been talking about renting a bigger place for ages, but with both of them being so busy with work and childcare, they haven't really had the time to go apartment hunting. So Katsuki takes advantage of all the free time he suddenly has on his hands to make calls to agents and schedule viewings.

It would be a pain to have to go looking for another nursery elsewhere, so they decide to stay within their current neighborhood. They end up going for an apartment in a similarly low-rise but newer building one station down, still within walkable distance from Kimiko's nursery. It's a much longer walk definitely, but the apartment is right beside an elementary school and its junior high counterpart, which they figure would become convenient in a few years' time.

There are two listings in the building, one for a unit with two bedrooms and another for a unit with three. Katsuki and Ochaco debate which one to get, and they ultimately agree that the bigger one would be more practical. They're still both young, and though it's out of the question right now with everything being so difficult already as it is, they're not closing their doors on the possibility of having another child in the future. It would be better to move to a place that can accommodate that, just in case.

So in summer, two months into Katsuki's recovery and another two before Kimiko's fourth birthday, they load a moving truck with their stuff and bid goodbye to the apartment they've been living in for almost six years. Ochaco gets emotional and Katsuki makes a face, refusing to admit out loud that he himself is feeling a little sentimental. After all, that place had been witness to the beginning of their married life and many milestones since.

* * *

Ochaco frets about letting Katsuki pick Kimiko up from the nursery, and he scowls at her. It's a fifteen-minute walk, not a fucking marathon.

It's been three months since his surgery, and he's about had enough of being forbidden to do practically everything. He can't lift more than ten pounds. He can't go out of the house alone beyond a distance that Ochaco's paranoid ass had set. He can't play with Kimiko unless it's some boring shit that neither of them really enjoy.

He can't even have sex with his wife; Ochaco had told him that if his stitches opened up, there would be no way she could face the doctor and tell him it had been because they were having sex, so nope, he has to wait until he has completely recovered.

Now, all he's asking for is to at least be allowed to walk to his daughter's nursery in a slow, relaxed pace, so he can pick her up. It's not strenuous at all. He'll be sure to take his meds before he goes, and if anything ends up hurting, he'll stop and take a break. Seriously, he needs to get out of the house for something other than his stupid seminars on the weekends or he'll go crazy.

Ochaco frowns at him, clearly worried, but she relents and asks him to promise to be careful and not to force himself.

She repeats the same thing several more times that day over text, once even telling him that if he changes his mind about picking Kimiko up, he only has to let her know, no judgment! Katsuki replies that she should really fucking relax. He'll be fine, goddammit.

Katsuki gives himself half an hour to walk the distance from their new apartment to the nursery. It's double the actual time needed, and it fucking hurts his pride to have to give himself allowances like that, but even though he acts tough, he's also concerned about his stitches. He really can't afford a relapse of any sort; he needs to make a full recovery as soon as possible, whip himself back into shape, get his hero license back, and start the painstaking journey back to the Top 10.

He's been avoiding the news and social media, because he knows that the incident with The Impaler plus the fact that he's on break will have pulled his ranking down drastically. He doesn't want to see how low he has fallen, and he's also trying his goddamn best not to care.

He had almost lost his life because he was trying to take a shortcut to the top like an idiot. It's high time to put an end to his stupid obsession once and for all. Of course, he's still eyeing the top, he swears he'll get there, he'll beat shitty Deku and shitty Todoroki, but he doesn't want to rush anymore.

As much as he hates to admit it, his ex managers had been right. He can't expect his career to keep growing at the same pace as others. His situation is different; he has other things on his plate other than work. Deku, Todoroki, even Kirishima, they can put their all in their work without anything to lose. They don't have to worry about stupid balance. They don't get distracted by thoughts about their kid's childhood flashing by before they can really savor it. They can set up camp in the goddamn office, never use their vacation leaves, take on spontaneous missions to fucking Antartica if needed, and they wouldn't have to worry about their marriage possibly stagnating or breaking down or some other shit like that.

Katsuki isn't free like them. His life isn't just about him, and this wasn't something that had been forced on him. He had wanted this. He had chosen this, so he has to live with it.

He could have stayed single. He could have waited until he was already the top hero before asking Ochaco to get married. He could have gotten permanent contraception if he didn't want a kid. Or he and Ochaco could have discussed terminating her pregnancy when it had come unplanned.

But if he had done all those, would he have been happy?

It's fucking tough. He has always been two steps behind ever since fucking Deku had gotten himself a Quirk. That gap has widened over the years ever since the shithead went on the golden exchange program that Katsuki had had to give up, and now after everything that has happened, it would probably be a stretch to even say that they're still standing on the same stage.

But would Katsuki prefer to be where Deku is now, at the expense of his wife and daughter? If he could turn back time and return to that moment on the train when he had asked Ochaco if she wanted to get married, with the knowledge of everything that will happen in their future up until now, would he have changed his mind and kept his mouth shut?

Sometimes when his wounds hurt like a bitch and he can't sleep at night, he asks himself that question. Has it all been worth it to sacrifice his goal to the top?

Then he looks at Ochaco sleeping peacefully beside him, drooling onto her pillow. He thinks about his daughter growing up to be more and more like him, though hopefully she'll be less of a jackass. And he decides that yes, it's all been worth it. He can ask himself the same question every night for the rest of his entire life, and he knows in his heart he will always arrive at the same answer.

He would never exchange this life for anything else. It has been hard on his career, but he still has a chance. He will progress slowly, but he will get to his goal eventually. On the other hand, if he had chosen to prioritize his ambition, if he and Ochaco hadn't gotten married when they had, would they even still be together now? Maybe, but probably not.

Look at Kirishima, for instance, he has liked that Ashido woman since middle school but after they both got too busy being pro heroes, they had drifted apart and now they've been reduced to just favoriting each other's tweets occasionally. It isn't too far-fetched to imagine that if Katsuki had let his chance with Ochaco slip away when they were younger, he would have lost her too. Just thinking about that makes his stomach churn unpleasantly.

Wait, fuck, his stomach is literally churning.

Katsuki takes a break from walking. He leans onto a vending machine by the side of the street, pretending to be browsing the contents when in fact he's just trying to regulate his breathing. Fuck, maybe Ochaco's right and it's a bit too early in his recovery to be taking this long of a walk. He's feeling dizzy.

He's almost at the nursery though. He'll just rest here for a while before pressing on. Then he and Kimiko can take a taxi going back home even though it'll take like two minutes and he'll look like an ass.

He pulls out his wallet from his pant pocket and drops coins into the vending machine for some water. He takes a big gulp and then presses the cold bottle onto his face. It relieves him a bit, and in a few more minutes, he's ready to walk the remainder of the way to Kimiko's nursery.

* * *

When he gets there, she's bawling her eyes out, and he's torn between comforting her and finding out who's responsible so he can decimate them. What the fuck happened? He glares murder at the attendants, who try to calm him down awkwardly.

They tell him they've been calling him and Ochaco for the past half hour but neither of them could be reached. Katsuki gropes into his pocket for his phone, and sure enough, there are seven missed calls from the nursery. Shit, he'd been so focused on trying to get here in one piece that he hadn't noticed his phone vibrating.

The attendants begin to say that it's nothing serious, but sparks pop threateningly on Katsuki's palm, so they decide to rephrase. Kimiko's not hurt, she hasn't gotten into any kind of fight, and she's not in danger. It's just that her Quirk has finally shown; she's crying because it's not what she had expected.

What? Her Quirk has shown? Katsuki's anger evaporates and suddenly he's both relieved and excited at the same time. Kimiko's almost four and he was already beginning to secretly worry that, as the gods' way of getting back to Katsuki for having bullied Deku throughout their childhood, she'd turn out to be Quirkless like that fucker had been. But her Quirk has shown, that's great! She's just a late bloomer then.

Katsuki kneels down to be at eye level with Kimiko and, as gently as he's capable, asks her why she's crying about her Quirk. It's not like her Mommy's?

Kimiko shakes her head. No, it's not! She won't be able to make herself fly! She won't be able to make the other kids jealous! She wanted to have a Quirk like her Mommy's so badly. She sobs harder.

Well, what's her Quirk then? Can she make explosions in her palms like her Daddy? Kimiko shakes her head again.

Katsuki frowns. If her Quirk is not like Ochaco's and not like his, then she must have gotten some kind of cross between the two. What is it? He coaxes Kimiko to show him. What can she do? Daddy would like to see.

Slowly, she opens one of the hands that she had balled into fists at her side. She holds it palm up in front of her, and as Katsuki watches, beads of clear liquid appear on the finger pads that she had inherited from Ochaco. They rise up in the air as though unbound by gravity, combining as they do, forming a small transparent ball suspended above her palm. Then Kimiko presses shaking fingers together and…

Boom, the ball explodes.

Katsuki stares, speechless. Kimiko takes his silence as disapproval and resumes bawling. Her Quirk is stupid, she knew it!

No! No, it's not! Katsuki is quick to reassure his daughter. It's not stupid at all! It's a good Quirk. It's a strong Quirk!

Kimiko accuses him of lying, but really, he's not. She can secrete nitroglycerin from her finger pads at will, remove its gravity, and then detonate the resulting floating liquid bombs by touching her fingers together. What a kick-ass combination of his and Ochaco's Quirks! It's fucking awesome!

Katsuki is getting excited just thinking about the strategies Kimiko would be able to pull off in battle. Wait until Ochaco hears about this, wait until the whole fucking world hears about this! His little girl is going to be such a badass! Shit, he can't wait to start teaching her how to fight!

Kimiko hasn't stopped crying, so Katsuki decides to bribe her. He'll buy her a treat to celebrate getting her Quirk. What would she like? Her voice still trembling and broken by hiccups, she says she wants chocolate ice cream in a sweet wafer cone with rainbow sprinkles on top.

Okay, sure, they'll get that, Katsuki says soothingly even though he doesn't really know where they can buy something that specific. They'll get her the ice cream, so she should calm down now. He uses the hem of his shirt to wipe away her tears.

Kimiko's sniffles gradually quiet down and she rubs at her own face with her fists to remove what wetness Katsuki had missed. Then in a small voice, she asks him if he really, honest-to-goodness, thinks that her Quirk is any good.

Katsuki ruffles her hair with a vicious grin and tells her it's the best.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I'm pretty happy with this chapter. Compared to the past three had been a pain to write, this flowed pretty smoothly and I managed to finish it in less than a day. (For comparison, it took me almost a week to complete The Best Heroes, which is only half the length of this chapter.)

The Hero Public Safety Commission is a real canon thing. They're the ones who release hero licenses. Trivia, in real-life Japan, there is a National Public Safety Commission that administers the National Police Agency. The commission's function is to guarantee the neutrality of the police system. It has the power to appoint or dismiss senior police officers.

I hope Kimiko's Quirk is to your satisfaction. I tried to think of a way to make it a bit different from all the other great ideas I've seen floating around the Internet, while still keeping it logically tied to Ochaco and Katsuki's Quirks. The result is floating explosive sweat. Hahaha. It sounds gross, but I believe it will be useful in battle. As she gets stronger, she'll be able to float those balls of sweat higher and make them bigger. Her advantage over Katsuki is that there is no physical recoil, since they explode away from her body. The disadvantage is that she can produce less nitroglycerin at the same amount of time he can, because he secretes it from his whole palms, while she can only secrete it from her finger pads.

Anyway, just three more chapters to go! Keep leaving me reviews, they are my treasure! XD

Next up, what's in store for Katsuki, career-wise?


	22. Chapter 21: Special Assault Team

Lots of reviews, omg! I am so thankful! 3

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Special Assault Team**

Kimiko is a fucking brat. If she weren't his brat, Katsuki would have lost his patience a long time ago.

She's left her stupid toys scattered on the stupid floor again. Her room looks like it's been ravaged by a fucking tornado, and is that an empty box of chocolate pretzels under her bed?! Goddammit, did she sneak a snack after bedtime again?

Grumbling, Katsuki sets about fixing up the room. What a fucking slob both his wife and daughter are. He'd known that all along about Ochaco, but Kimiko is picking up the same habits, and it's Katsuki who has to suffer for it. Now that he's in between jobs, he's become the designated housekeeper.

He cooks, cleans, drops off and picks up his daughter, runs errands, everything! Granted, it's a lot better than when he hadn't been allowed to do shit, but can't people be at least a little considerate and not make such a deliberate mess? There are burn marks on the fucking ceiling, and he seethes because Kimiko has obviously been playing with her Quirk again, even though she's already been told off so many times. Fucking hell!

It's been six months since his surgery, and Katsuki can't wait to finally go back to work. But the seminars are endless! He's only just begun doing his community service, too. Then there's still the physical assessment he has to pass, and he approximates it will take two to three more months before he can get the doctor's approval to start really preparing for that.

Katsuki dumps Kimiko's stupid stuffed animals in their basket. He's already made it easy for her to get shit organized in her room; why can't she be more disciplined? He grinds his teeth as he starts the vacuum. He really should talk to Ochaco about setting a better example. If their daughter always sees her pulling stuff out of the kitchen cabinets and then leaving them on the counter afterward, she'll keep on thinking this kind of behavior is acceptable.

He's washing the dirty dishes from breakfast when the doorbell rings. He frowns as he turns off the tap. He isn't expecting anyone.

He opens the door and Kirishima's there. The asshole looks him up and down then fucking whistles. The domestic look suits Katsuki, he fucking says with a laugh, and Katsuki realizes that he still has an apron on. Face burning up to the tips of his ears, he rips the thing off himself and snarls. What the hell is Kirishima doing at his house? It's the middle of a fucking weekday. Doesn't he have work and shit?

Kirishima shrugs. It's his day-off. He's replaced one weekday with a weekend shift; the pay is better. Katsuki snaps that it doesn't explain why he's come over unannounced, and Kirishima fakes a pained look. Can't he visit his best buddy for no reason? He misses having Katsuki's sweet happy face around!

Katsuki moves to shut the door, but Kirishima hardens his arm and quickly wedges it in the doorframe. He's kidding, he's kidding! He actually has a reason for being here. Well, not him exactly, but the person he's brought with him.

From behind Kirishima then emerges someone Katsuki hasn't seen in person in a long time: their former homeroom adviser at UA, Aizawa Shota, pro hero Eraserhead.

He's wearing his typical pokerface but instead of his ratty costume, he has on a suit and tie. His long black hair has also been combed out of his face and tied back in a ponytail. All in all, he looks neat and professional, quite unlike how he had ever been in class over a decade ago.

In his familiar bland tone, he chastises Katsuki for not having updated his address with the Hero Public Safety Commission. He had gone to the one listed in the records, only to be informed by neighbors that Katsuki had moved. What a waste of time and energy.

Katsuki is distracted enough by his surprise visitor that Kirishima manages to force the door open and invite himself and their former teacher inside. Katsuki doesn't protest. He's curious as to what this is about.

He leads his guests to the living room and, like a good host, leaves for the kitchen to get them something to drink. The shit-eating grin on Kirishima's face when he returns with a tray of snacks makes Katsuki want to dump the tea over his head instead of serving it to him, but he forces himself to behave in front of Eraserhead. He'll deal with Kirishima later.

Not one to waste time on pleasantries, Eraserhead gets straight to the point. He's asked Kirishima to take him here because he has something he wants to discuss with Katsuki. A job offer, to be specific. Would he be interested?

Katsuki's ears perk up. Although he won't admit it to anyone, he actually worries about finding work after he gets his license back. The public may not know the specifics of The Impaler incident, but it's an open secret within the industry, and what agency would want to hire an ill-tempered, reckless hero who had gone rogue only to get his ass handed to him by a villain?

Well, still a lot actually. Katsuki's immensely talented; he'll most likely still get plenty of job offers to choose from. The real question though is whether these offers will be any good.

The agency he had been employed at is among the best and most prestigious in the country. His next one should at least be on par with that; Katsuki doesn't want to work for some fledgling, cheap-ass office overrun by small fry. But will the big, prominent ones actually want him given his record?

Katsuki sits himself down on the ottoman across the coffee table from the sofa where his guests are sitting. His heart is thumping in his chest, but he doesn't want to appear too eager, so he just gives a half-assed nod for Eraserhead to continue.

Kirishima snorts and Katsuki considers throwing him out of the house. But Eraserhead, expression bland as always, doesn't seem to care about Katsuki's apparent lack of enthusiasm and moves right along to the discussion.

As Katsuki may already know, Eraserhead doesn't have his own hero agency, nor is he employed at one. Instead, he works directly for the National Police Agency as an officer in the Special Assault Team, the elite tactical unit that handles counter-terrorism missions as well as other incidents that are considered far too sensitive to leave in the hands of local police or heroes from privately-run agencies.

The Special Assault Team didn't always exist, but over a decade ago, the traumatic incidents perpetrated by the terror group known as the League of Villains had prompted a reform in the dynamic between pro heroes and the police. The public opinion back in the day was that they needed to be more in sync in order to be more effective; ad hoc task forces were simply not cutting it any longer, at least not in the highly dangerous cases at the level of the League of Villains fiasco.

The outcry resulted in a mandate for pro heroes to be recruited into the police force and accommodated within its ranks in the same capacity as regular officers. Thus, the Special Assault Team, or SAT, was created. Much like the usual ad hoc task forces, the unit consists of a few pro heroes at the core being supported by a number of the police's elite. The difference is, pro heroes in the SAT work full time for, and report directly to, the National Police Agency. They are, in essence, an unprecedented hybrid between pro hero and police officer.

Eraserhead had been among the first to be absorbed by the SAT, and he had served for a few years as Captain of the division in Tokyo before getting promoted to become the unit's overall Commander. Now, he oversees the recruitment, training, and deployment of over 300 SAT officers nationwide, while he himself directly reports to the Commissioner-General of the National Police Agency.

This much is not news to Katsuki. The creation of the SAT had been the talk of town back in the day, as had been Eraserhead's career move.

Many had questioned whether it was wise. As a ranking officer in the SAT, Eraserhead had gained considerable power and status beyond what he could have ever had as a run-of-the-mill pro hero. His position as Captain was equivalent to the similar military rank, while now as Commander, he holds as much authority as an army Major. On the other hand though, he has also had to relinquish plenty of the perks that come with being a pro hero, a higher pay grade among them.

Most times, when someone says they want to be a pro hero, they also mean that they want the glory and the gold that the career entails. Going through all the hard work for a hero license only to work for the police and become a regular civil servant instead of a celebrity, who in their right minds would do that? This is precisely why, even after ten years since the SAT's creation, taking that track remains an unpopular option among pro heroes.

Eraserhead will be turning 43 next year. It will also be the 25th anniversary of his career as a pro hero. In give or take another ten years, he wants to apply for early retirement and enjoy the rest of his life in relative peace and comfort. In order to do that, he has to have a worthy candidate to succeed him in his position as Commander of the SAT, but right now, speaking frankly, none of the handful pro heroes under his wing are up to the task.

This is the reason Eraserhead has now come to Katsuki. If Katsuki is interested, he could be recruited into the SAT and groomed to become its next leader. He'll have to start from the relative bottom of course, but his ascension through the ranks is guaranteed to be quick. With his skill, he'll be at the top in the blink of an eye.

Katsuki kind of just stares blankly at Eraserhead in response, struck speechless by what he has just heard. It's Kirishima who gives a violent reaction.

Is Eraserhead serious? He wants Katsuki, like for real? But Katsuki's an unrefined reckless hothead! How is he a good candidate for the next SAT Commander? All hell will break loose!

Eraserhead blinks at Kirishima, having forgotten that he's even there in the room with them, but Katsuki validates the question. Kirishima has a point. Why Katsuki of all people? He isn't exactly the poster boy for exemplary hero behavior.

Well, Eraserhead considers, neither is he himself, but that doesn't matter. Leading the SAT is not about how well one fits the generally accepted notions of what a hero should be. Rather, it's about combat and cognitive ability, which Katsuki has in spades, and more importantly, it's about dedication to a cause beyond glory, which Eraserhead believes Katsuki will learn to develop, if he hasn't already.

After all, he has a young daughter, doesn't he? He must appreciate better than anyone else just how important it is that Japan remains a safe place for the next generation. He had lived through the League of Villains fiasco himself; surely, that's an experience he wouldn't want his own kid to have?

That kind of motivation is vital to pro heroes within the SAT, who frankly have nothing much going for them except for the knowledge that they are the reason there has been no major terror incident in the country since the disbandment of the League of Villains over a decade ago.

The room falls quiet after Eraserhead concludes. He and Kirishima look intently at Katsuki, waiting for him to respond. He doesn't, not for a while.

What Eraserhead has said, there's truth to it. Kimiko is just a child now, so Katsuki and Ochaco can keep her close at all times. But soon, she'll grow up, and as she becomes more independent, the farther away she'll get from her parents' protection. Making sure the world is a safe place for his daughter to grow up in is a responsibility that Katsuki has to take on not only because he's a pro hero but also because he's a father.

But joining the SAT… there's one more thing to it that Eraserhead hasn't shared, isn't there? Katsuki's mouth is dry as he asks the question.

Eraserhead confirms solemnly. Yes, Katsuki's right. There is one more thing.

While still among the rank and file, up to the level of Squad Leader, pro heroes who have joined the SAT won't find the changes from regular hero work too jarring. It's just like working for any other agency, except their ranking doesn't dictate their salary and they're prohibited from getting into commercial contracts.

However, once they're promoted to the level of Captain, they have to make what many consider to be the biggest sacrifice. Their names are removed from the roster of pro heroes eligible for the monthly rankings.

Katsuki feels his throat constrict.

The mandate had been imposed to filter out those who aren't fully committed to the cause that the unit represents. Leading the SAT is serious work that deserves only serious candidates. Someone with petty motivation won't cut it. Someone who's only a pro hero for the money or the fame wouldn't be worthy.

Katsuki's head spins. This is crazy. Eraserhead is fucking crazy to seek him out and offer him this job. Katsuki has wanted to be the top hero since forever. It's been his dream ever since he could dream. Eraserhead should know that; he was Katsuki's teacher, for fuck's sake. He should know that there is just no way Katsuki would give up his chances of becoming the #1 hero.

He opens his mouth to say as much, but Eraserhead interrupts as though he already knows what Katsuki is thinking.

Being a hero means a lot more than what this society has reduced it to be, he says in a sober tone. Does Katsuki really believe that All Might had cared about the number attached to his image as the Symbol of Peace?

Everyone had looked up to All Might as the best hero not because he was #1; it was the other way around. He was #1 because everyone looked up to him as the hero who had made it possible for the citizens of this country to sleep in peace again.

Looking alone at the quantity of villains defeated, Endeavor beat All Might by a mile, and yet when All Might retired and Endeavor replaced him at #1, it had taken a long time before people could even just reluctantly accept that. Even now, the position of #1 no longer holds the same meaning as it had in All Might's time. Isn't that enough for Katsuki to understand that being the top hero isn't defined by a number?

Eraserhead drowns his cup of tea. When he resumes speaking, his tone is reminiscent of the times he had been their teacher.

Everything he has said aside, being part of the hero rankings isn't really doing Katsuki a lot of good. Pride is his greatest weakness; look where it had gotten him. If he doesn't have hero rankings to validate or invalidate his value, Katsuki would prove to be a much better hero than he even is now.

With that, Eraserhead stands up from the sofa to take his leave. Katsuki should think about his offer and discuss it with his wife. When he makes up his mind, whether the answer is yes or no, he should pay Eraserhead a visit at his office at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department headquarters.

Then he turns to Kirishima and reminds him that everything that had been spoken in the room should remain confidential. If any of this gets out, he'll make sure Kirishima loses his hero license permanently.

Eraserhead sees himself out of the house, leaving Kirishima pallid at the threat and Katsuki deep, deep, deep within his troubled thoughts.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

The Special Assault Team is a real police tactical unit in Japan. It's the equivalent of the SWAT. It was established in 1996. Not a lot of information is available on SAT, but basically it's the unit that is called on to handle counter-terrorism and incidents that involve firearms or criminals that require an armed response beyond the capabilities of local police. There are headquarters in several areas throughout Japan, but most operatives work from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police HQ. Once a police officer is recruited into the SAT, they're made classified from the roster of active police officers for their protection.

I hope the way i described it in the chapter is easy to understand. Basically, this fic's SAT has the same function as real-life SAT, except there are pro heroes. The pro heroes who are part of SAT are also considered police officers, unlike regular pro heroes who just help police but are not really police.

If you're wondering—why would Eraserhead not offer the SAT job to Deku instead? Well, that's because Deku is more suited to be in the public eye than working behind the scenes. His role is to be like All Might. At least that's how I headcanon it. I think Deku will be the reassuring face that everyone needs to symbolize peace and all that's good about pro heroism. Eraserhead wouldn't want to take that away from society.

Omg, we're two chapters away from the ending! I'm so excited, but I'm also sad. This story has become a big part of my routine. I spend a good portion of my day not only writing chapters but also thinking about where to take it next and of course doing research on the stuff I want to include in the story. I'm already feeling separation anxiety, hahaha.


	23. Chapter 22: It's Like Something's Dying

**Chapter 22:** **It Feels Like Something's Dying**

Katsuki's arms have dropped from around Ochaco's back onto the mattress, but she stays perched on top of him, the rise and fall of his bare chest and the wild pounding of his heart matching her own. She lifts her head from where he has it tucked in the crook of his neck, kissing his jaw along the way. He's still flushed from the heat of making love to her; she smiles at him contentedly.

Ochaco's been living the life lately. She's in a good place in her career, steadily rising up the ranks, and these days she's able to focus even better because Katsuki has fully taken over domestic duties. It's nice coming home to a clean house, a warm meal, Kimiko already bathed, her bag for nursery the next day already prepared, and then this.

She sighs happily, rolling off of Katsuki and snuggling into him. She could stay like this forever, really.

Katsuki turns on his side to face her. A hand goes to the stray strands of hair clinging to her sweaty face and tucks them behind her ear. He asks if she's sleepy, and she teasingly asks him if he's already thinking about going another round. He gives a little laugh and leans to kiss the tip of her nose. Maybe later, he says, then his tone gets more serious. Right now, there's something he wants to share, if she isn't too tired to listen.

She assures him she isn't. Even if she were sleepy, she'd shake it off to listen. Katsuki has always tended to keep his thoughts private, but after The Impaler incident, Ochaco had vowed to herself that she would get him used to opening up. They're married. They're family. Katsuki should let her know if there's something bothering him so they can work on it together. Even if it turns out she can't help him directly, she wants to at least be his pillar and provide him with emotional support.

She pushes herself up, groping around on the bed for her discarded shirt and putting it back on. She fluffs her pillow and leans it against the headboard before relaxing into a half-sitting position. She's all ears. What's on Katsuki's mind?

With a heavy breath, Katsuki rolls onto his back. He keeps his eyes on the ceiling as he shares that Eraserhead had come by the other day with an offer to recruit him into the Special Assault Team.

The pay wouldn't be as big as what a private hero agency would be able to provide, but it's a stable job, and Katsuki is being promised a sure shot to a leadership position over a relatively short amount of time. To be completely realistic, this is probably going to be the best offer he can expect to get in the next few years, given how he had damaged his record with the idiot move he had pulled with The Impaler.

Katsuki turns his gaze to Ochaco. The look on her face makes it obvious that she understands what it would mean to be part of the SAT. He doesn't need to explain any further.

She asks him if he has rejected the offer, and to her surprise, he says he hasn't. Well, not yet anyway. He doesn't have to make a decision right away. Eraserhead is giving him time to think. He has at least until he's finished with all his seminars before he needs to give his final answer.

Katsuki takes her hand then, pressing it to his cheek absently. What does Ochaco think about the offer? It's his turn to be surprised when she encourages him to take it.

He had thought she would be opposed to the idea, not least because it's a high-risk job, even more so than being a regular pro hero. Villains at the level of The Impaler are nothing compared to what the SAT are expected to handle. Ochaco has been paranoid about his safety since he almost died; why is she so willing to push Katsuki now into something that would expose him into even more danger?

Ochaco squeezes the hand holding hers. It's nothing he can't handle, she tells him with a confident smile. Katsuki is a great hero. He's the best hero. He's strong, he's smart, he has a brilliant Quirk. No matter how big and bad those villains are, they wouldn't know what hit them once Katsuki's leading the SAT.

She slides back down the pillow to lie on her side facing him. Her free hand goes to rest on Katsuki's chest, then slips down to his abdomen. Her fingers trace the line of scar tissue down the middle, one of the many souvenirs from his brush with death.

The scars from his surgery incision as well as the weapon's exit wound on his back are both healing well, but true to Todoroki's warning, the burn on the side of Katsuki's abdomen had scarred ugly. It's red and raised and tends to itch. The doctor says nothing short of cosmetic surgery could fix it, but despite Katsuki often staring at it in the mirror, complaining that it's ugly as shit, both he and Ochaco have decided to leave it be. It's better this way; he'll have a tangible reminder of what his recklessness had almost cost him.

Ochaco runs her fingers softly along its bump. This scar didn't happen because The Impaler was dangerous, or because Katsuki had lacked the talent to defeat him. This happened because the competition for the rankings had gotten Katsuki desperate. He's strong; no villain out there can best him, Ochaco's sure of it. The biggest danger to him is the aggression that he can't seem to control when he becomes too competitive.

Katsuki looks at her almost sadly. He gets what she's saying; Eraserhead had said something similar. But how about his dream? If he joins the SAT, he'll be giving up any chance to be #1.

She moves a hand to his face, wiping gently at the sweat on his brow.

What does it really mean for Katsuki to be a hero?

A long time ago, he would have said it was to win, plain and simple. From his earliest memories, he had looked up to All Might, the #1 hero, the best hero who won every fight and never backed down. Katsuki wanted to be like that and he knew with his skill he could. It felt good to win, it felt good to be the best, and for many years that had been his sole motivation to pursue a career as a hero.

But then, UA happened, and his experiences there sobered him up. He has since learned that being a hero entails more than just blasting villains to bits. It's more than the acclaim, more than what it had looked like in the posters and the YouTube videos and the TV interviews he had watched as a kid. Being a hero isn't about winning for the sake of winning, but rather because the consequences of losing are far too terrible to even consider.

Katsuki knows that by accepting Eraserhead's invitation to the SAT, he would be getting an unmatched opportunity to live out what it means to be a true hero, a true protector of peace. He would have authority over high-stakes operations that he could never be allowed to have as a regular pro, regardless of his placement in the rankings. There would be no petty criminals in the SAT's agenda, no thieves or vandals or small-time troublemakers, only profound threats like the League of Villains, and when Katsuki rises to Commander, he would be at the very helm of all heroes' shared mission to keep peace in the country.

It's a good offer. It's more than good. It's everything he wants in all but the title. If only Katsuki didn't care so much about the numbers. If only he could convince himself to concede that the rankings aren't everything. If only becoming #1 didn't matter so much to him…

Ochaco smiles, kind and loving and beautiful. She scoots even closer to him and presses a kiss on his shoulder. Katsuki is already #1 to her and to Kimiko. He'll forever be #1 to them. Maybe that's enough?

Katsuki feels his eyes burn hot in their sockets as he's overwhelmed with emotion he can't define. Her love moves him, warms him, but it doesn't get rid of the pain that forms in his chest as he thinks about what he has to give up. It's like something inside of him is dying and he feels the need to mourn, but at the same time he can't say that there's no contentment or acceptance in there for everything that has happened to bring his life to this point.

Ochaco notices the unshed tears glistening in his eyes. She pushes herself up again so she can cradle his head in her chest. She strokes his messy hair and whispers soothingly.

It'll be all right. Whatever Katsuki decides, she's certain he'll find happiness. Whatever he decides, she'll support him with her all.

Katsuki buries his face deeper into her shirt and lets himself grieve.

* * *

Eight months into Katsuki's recovery, he passes the physical assessment that will allow him to return to hero work. The seminars are also done, even his community service. All that's left now is to appear before the Hero Public Safety Commission and submit a bunch of documents, then he'll finally get his hero license back.

That's how he finds himself standing outside the Central Common Building on this unmerciful winter day, wrapped in the warmest coat he owns, his hands useless inside gloves so thick he can hardly move his fingers. His shitty scars are all itchy from the cold, and it's putting him in a bit of a bad mood.

He strides into the building and heads to the Hero Public Safety Commission office to hand in his requirements. It's near the end of the year, so everyone's busy and it takes a while before someone's available to attend to him.

Thankfully, the process turns out to be quick and straightforward. The civil servant examines the form Katsuki submits along with all the appendices that serve as proof of the community service he has rendered, the medical clearance from his doctor, and his attendance in all the goddamn seminars over the past several months.

When everything appears to her satisfaction, she takes out a stamp and marks the pages, then she tells Katsuki that his reinstatement will be processed within the next ten business days. He should come back after that time to claim his hero license.

He acknowledges with a nod and a word of thanks that comes out more gruffly than he intends, then he shuffles out of the office. Upon exiting the building though, he doesn't head back to the station. Instead, he pulls his coat tighter around his body to protect his stupid scars from the cold, then walks the opposite direction to cross to the next building over. It's about time he pays Eraserhead a visit to give his final decision regarding that job offer.

Katsuki has had two months to think about it. After Ochaco had given him her thoughts on the matter, she had respected his capacity to make up his own mind and let him mull over it in peace. She didn't put any pressure on him, not even talking about it unless he brought it up first, and he appreciates her a lot for that.

Last night, before they went to sleep, he finally told her he's made his decision. Even before he had shared what it was, she was already grinning happily at him, repeating that she's with him all the way no matter what it is. Ochaco is so supportive; he can't be any luckier.

Most of the police officers going about their business in the spacious lobby of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department headquarters are familiar with Katsuki, having worked with him before in various missions. They greet him politely as he makes his way to the fourteenth floor, where the SAT holds operations from. Eraserhead is in a meeting when Katsuki arrives, so he has to sit at the reception area and wait a while.

He's been there close to twenty minutes with patience running out when the door to Eraserhead's office finally opens and a group of uniformed officers exit. Katsuki recognizes one of them vaguely as a batchmate from UA. It's not a classmate, definitely. It's someone from the other hero class or maybe even another course, he's not really sure. He can't even remember the guy's name or Quirk.

Katsuki is called into the office and he quickly loses his train of thought.

Eraserhead is wearing a suit and tie again, sitting back in his chair behind a grand oak desk bearing a plate with his real name and his position as Commander. All of it would have looked dignified if it weren't for the yellow sleeping bag peeking out of a bottom drawer.

Eraserhead goes directly to the point as ? What decision has Katsuki come to? It's high time he gives an answer.

Katsuki reaches into his backpack without a word and drops a brown A4 envelope on the desk. Eraserhead doesn't move to pick it up. He doesn't have the energy to waste on bullshit. He just wants to hear a yes or a no so they can both move on.

Katsuki grits his teeth. Well, if Eraserhead would just open the shitty envelope, he would get his stupid answer. Inside is Katsuki's resume, his transcript of records from UA, as well as a copy of the same forms he has submitted to the Hero Public Safety Commission to serve as proof that he'll be getting his hero license back soon.

He's accepting the fucking job. His mind is already made up, but his heart still clenches a little tightly as he finally says it out loud. This better be fucking worth it.

Eraserhead smirks from behind his desk at the challenge. It will be, he promises. Katsuki just has to wait and see.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

NEXT CHAPTER IS THE LAST, I'M GONNA CRY.

Also, sorry this is a short chapter. The finale will more than make up for it, being 5000+ words and all.


	24. Chapter 23: The Number One Hero

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has read this. This is the final chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 23:** **The Number One Hero**

It's past sunset, and Kimiko is deep in thought as she walks the short distance from her middle school to her home. The deadline for turning in her career options is approaching fast but her form is still as blank as when she had first gotten it from the teacher, though a little crumpled now from the many times she had unceremoniously stuffed it in her bag.

The rest of her classmates seem to have already decided what to write. They all want to be pro heroes, of course. They would nominate that as their first, second, and third choices if that were allowed.

Being the daughter of two pro heroes, everyone expects Kimiko to follow their footsteps and become one herself, but to be completely honest, she's not really sure that's what she wants.

Of course when she was a kid, she had been like everyone else and dreamed of becoming a hero. But then she grew up, and as she did she became painfully aware of the reality that her parents live in. Being a pro hero is more than just being cool and kicking ass, she knows that now. It's more than what society has romanticized it to be.

Kimiko had once asked why her parents had married young, and her Dad had told her it's because her Mom had almost died. Then she saw the ugly scar on the side of his abdomen, and he told her it was from when he himself had almost died. Wow. Both her parents had had a brush with death before they even turned 30. Being a pro hero is definitely not a joke.

Other than the obvious risks, there's also the sheer amount of time and commitment that being a pro hero requires; it's almost inhumane. Kimiko had had to spend a lot of time on her own in her childhood. The memories are vague now, but she remembers always having been the last to be picked up at nursery and kindergarten. Then, when she started going home by herself in elementary school, she had to have her own key because neither of her parents came home until much later.

Kimiko never felt neglected. Her Mom and Dad always made up for the lots of time they were absent by showering her with plenty of attention when they were around. They also made sure to set aside time to spend with her on weekends, even if it was just to take her out to eat. She never felt unloved, but as she matured, she realized just how tough it was on her parents to keep a semblance of balance in their lives.

She bets those kinds of consequences never crossed her classmates' minds when they so eagerly wrote 'pro hero' on their career forms.

It's not that Kimiko has completely decided against becoming a pro hero. A part of her still wants to go that route. After all, she looks up to her parents very much. She just wishes she could have more time to think it through. She'll be turning 15 soon, and by the end of the current school year, she'll need to make up her mind on whether she would enter the Hero Course at UA or just do something else entirely.

Getting into the elite school wouldn't be a problem. She could get in by recommendation, of course, but even if she chooses not to rely on her parents' influence, she has no doubt she'll be able to pass the entrance exam on her own skill alone.

Kimiko has learned how to fight since she was young. Her Mom insists that being in tune with one's body is a skill essential to everyone, not just heroes, and had enrolled Kimiko into a martial arts program as soon as she entered elementary school. Kimiko had immediately taken to it. She apparently has natural talent, and she enjoyed rubbing the fact into the faces of other children. She has continued with the practice and gotten her first black belt recently; she would have gotten it way sooner too if her grades weren't a bigger priority.

Her Dad keeps nagging about the importance of staying at the top, instilling in Kimiko the need to take her studies seriously. He says he doesn't care if she becomes a pro hero or not, but whatever she decides to do, she better make sure she does her darnedest to be the best at it. Kimiko swears he'd probably go as far as police her homework if he weren't so busy with his job.

Not that he isn't supportive of her martial arts. On the contrary, he encourages it. He has had an active role in training her how to fight, particularly how to use her Quirk strategically in case of an actual battle. Her master at the dojo teaches her techniques, then her Dad helps her figure out how to incorporate her floating balls of nitroglycerin into them.

It has also been their yearly father-daughter tradition to watch the sports festival at UA live, then on the drive home, her Dad would quiz her on what she thinks this one kid should have done to win, or how Kimiko herself would have strategized against this other kid.

Kimiko enjoys that a lot. She likes the mental challenge of coming up with ways to win, and she likes the proud look her Dad gives her when she says the right things.

This year though, she couldn't concentrate. Her stupid brothers had come with them for the first time. They distracted her with their stupid antics and she completely missed how the boy with the teleportation Quirk had lost the finals.

She was livid, and the three of them had fought in the car all the way home, until their Dad threatened never to bring any of them ever again if they didn't shut the hell up. Of course, Kimiko shut her mouth then, even though she thought it was really unfair because she hadn't been the one who started it.

Her Mom had been kinder and sneaked snacks into her room to make her feel better after she locked herself inside in protest.

Someone calls Kimiko's name and she looks up, jostled from her thoughts. She has reached their apartment building and one of her Mom's sidekicks at the agency is waving at her from the rolled down window of a car in the driveway.

Kimiko greets the lady, who tells her that she's just about to leave after having dropped off some reports for Uravity. Is Kimiko returning from school only now? It's already late! Will she have enough time to get ready for tonight's event?

Kimiko pales. Crap, she's forgotten all about that! There's a commemoration party of some sort tonight for all the pro heroes celebrating their 20th anniversary. That includes both her parents, and their whole family will be going!

She hurriedly thanks her mom's sidekick for the reminder then books it to the elevator.

* * *

Needless to say, her Dad is almost gnashing his teeth in anger when she appears at the door. He's already in his hero costume, minus the flashy equipment and accessories that she figures he'll put on when they're already at the venue.

What the hell took Kimiko so long to get home? She wasn't picking up his calls either! Did she have a date, huh? Is she neglecting her family now for some punk?! Is that it?!

Kimiko makes a disgusted face. She just forgot, no need to be overdramatic. She won't take too long to get ready anyway, so her Dad should just chill. He snaps at her to get to it; he doesn't want to be late.

As Kimiko makes her way to the bathroom to wash up, she hears her Mom coaxing her brothers to behave so she can help them get dressed. Her Dad soon joins them, snarling at the boys to quit acting like little monkeys and put on their pants already.

Kimiko piles her hair on her head to prevent it from getting wet as she sits on the plastic stool and starts the shower. She'll have to forgo shampoo for now. Her hair wouldn't dry in time; it's way too long now, going down past the middle of her back. She had decided to grow it out because her face is almost an exact replica of her Dad's, and her stupid brothers keep teasing her that she looks like a boy.

Her brothers are the bane of Kimiko's existence, but they're also the reason that the latter part of her childhood became much livelier. When she was 9, and then again a year later when she was 10, her parents had told her she was going to have a sibling, and both times, she had wished it would be a girl because boys were stupid. Both times, it had ended up being boys, and although Kimiko was a bit disappointed at first, she learned to love her brothers anyway. They're annoying but it's not all that bad, at least nobody can challenge her position in the family as the favorite daughter.

There's loud rapping on the bathroom door, then her Dad calls out. Is Kimiko asleep in there?! Can't she shower a little faster? Her brothers are dressed and she's the only one they're waiting for.

All right, all right, she's done! Jeez, her Dad is such a nag, seriously! She wraps a towel around herself and exits the bathroom, sending a scowl in her Dad's direction as she heads to her room.

His voice follows her through the hallway. If she's not ready in fifteen minutes, they're going ahead without her. Also, she's trailing water all over the floor! Does she think she has a maid to clean up after her? Kimiko yells back angrily through her closed bedroom door that she would have toweled off properly if he hadn't been rushing her so much.

Kimiko grabs one of her semi-formal dresses from the rack in her closet and hurriedly puts it on. She runs a brush through her long blonde hair in front of the mirror. It's so spiky, it won't stay flat no matter how hard she brushes. She doesn't have the luxury of time to style it properly though, so she just leaves it kind of sticking out in all directions at the back. Whatever, it'll have to do.

She stuffs the brush, some powder, and a stick of lip gloss into a small purse before heading out of the room. It's all the makeup she needs, since her complexion is naturally a nice rosy pink thanks to her Mom's genes.

Her Dad is waiting for her by the entryway. He clicks his tongue at her but says nothing more as they go down the elevator together to join her Mom and brothers in the car.

* * *

When they get to the venue, Ochaco and the children go ahead to sit at their designated table in the dining hall. Meanwhile, Katsuki goes backstage to deposit their luggage containing the bulkier parts of his and Ochaco's costumes. They'll put them all on later, when it's time for them to go up the stage to receive their plaques of recognition.

Security is being kept tight at the venue, and many pro heroes outside their batch as well as police offers are on patrol. When the latter see Katsuki, they come to attention and salute. He only gives them a grudging nod in response. He knows it's protocol for them, since he's now Commander of the Special Assault Team and technically their superior, but the formality of it all annoys him. That aside though, he can't say he regrets having taken the job.

Katsuki is 38 now. It's been a year since he became Commander, and a decade since he joined the SAT.

In only a year after his recruitment, he had been promoted to Squad Leader, a position he had held for three and a half years before he finally took the civil service exam that allowed his promotion to the level of Captain.

He could have done it earlier, but he wasn't ready. There was something he wanted to accomplish before he could let himself be removed from the roster of heroes eligible for the rankings. He had to at reach #1 first, or at least be as close to it as possible.

The news of his recruitment into the SAT had caused his popularity to soar for a time. No prominent hero since Eraserhead had done it, so people were excited to talk about Bakugo's career move. It also did a lot to improve his performance evaluations. The SAT imposes mandatory continuing education and stringent training to its officers, and it proved very helpful in getting Katsuki out of the rut that his former managers had warned him about.

Katsuki rose back to the Top 10 within six months of returning to work, and to #6 within a year. By that time, Deku had already climbed all the way up to #2, while Todoroki was at #4, but it was fine. Katsuki was catching up, and at a rate faster than he had even thought he could.

Deku made it to #1 a little before he turned 29, and he has stayed there since. For three years after that, the ranks of #2 and #3 shuffled between Katsuki and Todoroki, and then one day, Katsuki finally broke through to #1. He held the rank for only one month, and he had even had to share the spot with shithead Deku, but it was fine. Katsuki was satisfied. There are worse ways to end a phase in one's career.

After reaching that milestone, Katsuki told Eraserhead, who had indulged him all that time, that he was finally ready to let go. His promotion was immediately processed, and by the following month, he was Captain of the SAT division in Tokyo and his name was gone from the hero rankings. He was 32, Kimiko was 9, and Ochaco was pregnant with a second baby.

Unlike their first, this one had been planned. He and Ochaco had decided that they were finally in a good place to try for another child. While they were still very busy with their careers, it wasn't as bad as when they were just starting out. For one, they had already managed to attain positions at their jobs that allowed them privileges essential to keeping some balance in their lives.

Ochaco had cemented her rank at #12. She had also become Deku's business partner at the agency, rather than simply being his employee. As the #1 hero, he hardly ever had time anymore to focus on the work needed to keep his agency running, and Ochaco had to take on most of the work. To be fair to her, he had offered to restructure the agency as a partnership between the two of them, and she accepted.

It turns out that being part-owner comes with great perks, a lot of money not the least among them. Katsuki is mature and practical enough not to be embarrassed to admit that his wife earns more than him now.

More than that, the position had allowed Ochaco to stay active with hero work even during her pregnancy. Their apartment became an extension of her office. She had reports delivered to her doorstep and conducted strategy meetings via video call from the comfort of their living room. Her doctor had approved it, as long as she refrained from getting involved in missions herself.

It was just as well because she got pregnant again barely a year after giving birth to their second child. Like Kimiko, this next baby was not planned, and Katsuki is grateful to all the gods that at least it had happened when their family already had the capacity to make the situation work. He can't imagine what it would have been like if it had been Kimiko who was too quickly followed by an unexpected sibling.

As a ranking officer in the SAT, Katsuki is entitled to some privileges of his own, the most useful of which is that he and his immediate family are given priority at government-run institutions. He and Ochaco didn't have to go through the same hardship looking for an available nursery for their sons as they had with Kimiko. Katsuki had filled out some forms, and the boys were immediately accepted into a public nursery close to their home.

It also helped that the boys' age gap with Kimiko is significantly big. She was already a pre-teen by then, and they could trust her to look after her brothers when they had to work late.

Acquiring money and status as they succeed in their careers has made their lives a little more comfortable. The setup is still not perfect, of course; it may never be. But Katsuki would like to believe that their family is happy nonetheless. In any case, he is. His wife is the best woman he could ever have married, and though his kids are all brats who keep fighting with one another like the little shits that they are, they're wonderful in their own way. He's proud of them, and he knows Ochaco is, too, even though in private she tends to complain about them all having inherited the Bakugo temperament.

Deku is assigned to the same table in the dining hall as the Bakugo family, and Katsuki makes a face. At least Todoroki is at a different table, or this dinner would be beyond unbearable.

Kimiko and Deku are engaged in lively conversation. As if it weren't enough that Ochaco's friends with the asshole, now even their daughter has taken a liking to Deku, the goddamn Symbol of Peace.

Katsuki's eye had twitched uncontrollably when he saw the Deku button pin displayed proudly on Kimiko's school bag next to the one of Uravity. His traitor of a daughter had even sassed that she would have bought a Bakugo pin too, but none of those existed anymore. He's part of the fucking police force, so he isn't allowed to have a line of merchandise like regular pro heroes. Fuck!

Katsuki drops into the chair beside Ochaco's, which is currently empty as she's flitted over to the next table to introduce their sons to their former classmates, some of whom they haven't really interacted with in a while.

Deku greets him with a smile. Katsuki grimaces and warns him not to corrupt his daughter's thoughts with nerdy ideas. Kimiko rolls her eyes, but Deku only laughs before resuming their conversation about which of the graduating students from UA he's likely to recruit as a new sidekick.

Deku's single up to now. Katsuki doesn't know if he has ever dated anyone. It's certainly a popular topic to speculate about in the news, but either he's really not into that shit or he's hiding it really well. Even Ochaco doesn't know, and they're business partners. From time to time there would be rumors about Deku being spotted with some woman or other, but it always ends up dying down eventually because no further proof can be dug up. Deku always avoids the topic in his interviews, too.

A lot of their other classmates did end up getting married, however. In the years after they turned 30, weddings popped up one after another. It was a good time, certainly. By then, they had already had more than a decade to establish themselves in the industry, so they had a bit more leeway to settle down and start families.

A heavy arm drops onto Katsuki's shoulders as Kirishima arrives at their table, announcing loudly that he has missed him. Katsuki snarls and pushes him off. What the hell? The asshole's acting like they haven't seen each other in years, when he was just at their house for lunch a week ago. Katsuki snaps at him to go bother other people instead.

Kimiko breaks off her conversation with Deku and excitedly launches up her seat to give Kirishima a fist bump. Her brothers also run from the other table to do the same. Fuck, Katsuki's children have all been corrupted!

Kirishima takes the chair across Katsuki at the table. Beside him sits Ashido—well, also Kirishima now. The two had reconnected three years ago at their middle school's reunion. They immediately started dating, and within six months they were married. Not that it would still be considered a whirlwind courtship, of course. It's a relationship that had been waiting to happen since they were all students.

The lights in the hall dim to signal the start of the program. Ochaco and the boys settle into their seats, and they all quiet down. While dinner is served, several key officials from the Hero Public Safety Commission give long-ass speeches that Katsuki doesn't really pay much attention to, busy as he is helping his youngest with his meal.

All the heroes in the hall would be getting a plaque of recognition to celebrate the milestone of having reached 20 years of heroism. They will be going up the stage by school, except for those of them in the Top 20 as well as the SAT, who will be called separately.

Event attendants start approaching one table after another to advise its occupants to proceed to the dressing room. When it's their turn to leave, Katsuki warns his sons to behave unless they want to be punished severely when they get home. Ochaco satisfies herself with simply asking Kimiko to look after her brothers.

Backstage, they separate into the men's and women's dressing rooms. Katsuki retrieves his grenadier gauntlets, his knee guards, and his neck brace, snapping them on before standing by at the stage wings, where he is joined by the three other heroes in their batch who had also joined the SAT.

Two of them, the Captains of the Kanagawa and Chiba divisions, are graduates of different schools, but the Captain of the Tokyo division is from UA just like Katsuki. It's the guy he had seen exiting Eraserhead's office on the day he accepted the job, Shinso Hitoshi.

Shinso had shifted from the General Department to the Hero Course in his second year and was recruited into the SAT by Eraserhead much earlier than Katsuki. It had taken him longer to be promoted due to his relative lack of expertise in actual combat, and Captain is probably the highest rank he'll realistically manage to reach, but Shinso enjoys a position of high regard in the unit. His Mind Control Quirk has proven to be a valuable asset, especially in hostage situations.

The four of them line up and make their way up the stage as their names are announced. They receive their plaques, bow and shake hands with the head of the Hero Public Safety Commission, their photos are snapped, and then it's done. They descend from the stage, go back to the dressing room to relieve themselves of whatever parts of their costumes they don't need, and then they return to the dining hall. It's pretty anticlimactic, to be honest.

When Katsuki assumes his seat again at their table, his children want to take a look at his plaque and almost begin fighting among themselves about who gets to hold it first. He shushes them angrily. It's Ochaco's turn to go up the stage soon; can they act dignified for once and afford their mother some respect?

The heroes in the Top 20 are called in by rank. When Ochaco appears on stage, Kimiko and the boys shoot up from their seats and cheer loudly. Katsuki lets them go wild; Ochaco deserves the applause.

By the time she returns to the table, almost everyone's done, and it's Deku's turn next. The whole hall roars with applause as his name is called. Katsuki scoffs, but there's no real bite to it.

Katsuki will never admit it out loud, but he has, after many years of struggling with it, finally come to terms with Deku becoming the #1 hero. To be completely honest, the nerd deserves it, having devoted his entire life to pro heroism. He had worked his way from the literal bottom as a Quirkless piece of shit, all the way up to the top to become the new Symbol of Peace. All Might would have been proud.

Ochaco stops clapping to place her hand over Katsuki's on the table. He turns to look at her, and she's smiling at him. Katsuki's still #1 to her; that's what the expression on her face is saying. The corners of his mouth twitch upward in a smile of his own. If he has Ochaco, he can't really say he's lost anything.

Aside from commemorating everyone else's 20 years of heroism, tonight's event is also meant to celebrate 10 years of Deku being #1. He's been given a medal along with his plaque of recognition. It shines brightly from around his neck as he takes the podium to give a speech.

There's no hint of nerves in his voice, and the speech starts out like any other. He acknowledges the presence of the important people in the audience, gives thanks to everyone for their support, and promises to continue being a hero that deserves to be called the Symbol of Peace.

But then Deku pauses, and the speech takes a weird turn.

He recollects that over 20 years ago, there had been a villain called Stain. He's sure everyone remembers, and he's sure everyone knows the story that had led the man named Akaguro Chizome to become the Hero Killer. Akaguro had wanted to become a hero himself, but he became disillusioned by the reality of professional heroism. To his despair, it turned out that most people only wanted to be heroes for personal gain.

An uncomfortable silence falls over the audience, but it quickly lifts when Deku flashes his trademark grin from the podium. He assures everyone that he's not out to judge or to make a political commentary. He himself, even as the Symbol of Peace, has to admit that he enjoys the perks that come with being a pro hero. To him, personally, it doesn't matter if heroes get compensated for the work they do, as long as it doesn't detract from their mission to keep the country safe.

However, he does get Akaguro's point of view. Over the past two decades of working as a pro hero, Deku has come to realize repeatedly just how difficult and dangerous the job really is. And yet, becoming a pro hero remains to be the top career choice for students all over Japan. Isn't this because, maybe, the perks of the job are often highlighted more than the sacrifices it entails or the cause it really represents?

Deku looks directly at the camera recording the speech and broadcasting it live to televisions nationwide. He smiles kindly.

Tonight, even if it's just for a few minutes, he would like to change things up a bit. While there is no doubt that everyone in the hall deserves applause, those who have sacrificed the limelight to become heroes in the purest sense of the word deserve it even more.

Would the four members of the Special Assault Team kindly join him back on stage please?

Katsuki has become still as a statue. His three Captains stand up and begin awkwardly making their way to the front amidst scattered words of encouragement from the crowd. But Katsuki stays planted in his seat, shocked at fucking Deku's audacity to spring something like this on him.

Ochaco places a hand on his arm, and he turns to look at her. She's beaming brightly at him; she looks proud. Behind her, the boys are bouncing up and down eagerly on their seats, and Kimiko has clapped her hands together in excitement. Across the table, Kirishima is grinning from ear to ear.

Go on, Ochaco urges. Katsuki should go up the stage now. Her words are echoed by their children, and slowly, he stands up.

The walk to the stage seems to take forever. He doesn't know what to feel exactly. He should be seething because Deku's an asshole for not having informed Katsuki about this gimmick beforehand. Strangely though, Katsuki's not angry. If anything, he's nervous. His heart is pounding against his ribs as he climbs the short steps to the stage.

As soon as Katsuki takes his place with his three Captains, Deku resumes with his speech. He explains that the SAT remains an unpopular track for pro heroes, not surprisingly, because it's a relatively thankless job.

Pro heroes within the ranks of the SAT are exposed to the same amount of danger as a regular pro hero, if not more, but they don't get to reap the same rewards. On the contrary, they are excluded from the monthly rankings, leaving them outside the reward system fundamental to every heroes' career goals.

In the past decade, the SAT has suppressed a number of potential terror attacks and resolved countless situations that were deemed far too sensitive to make the news. Each time, they risked their lives for the sake of protecting the peace in the country, and each time, they received nothing for it, not a party to celebrate their success, not a medal to recognize their merit.

So tonight, Deku would like to encourage everyone in the room, as well as everyone watching the televised broadcast from their homes, to please stand up and raise their glasses to the unsung heroes on stage. It's time to give them the applause they deserve.

The hall is filled with the sound of chairs scratching against the floor as the guests stand up. Deku leads them in a toast. Then they applaud wildly, sincerely, and Katsuki feels his chest about to explode with emotion.

He swallows over the lump in his throat. He can't cry. Not here, not on stage, not in front of everyone.

He almost succeeds, too, but fucking Deku is not done. He leaves his fucking place at the fucking podium and walks over to where Katsuki is standing in the middle of the stage. He has a stupid wide grin on his face as he removes his shitty medal, pulling it over his shitty head.

Katsuki deserves it more than him, the shitty bastard fucking says. He may have become the Symbol of Peace, but Katsuki is the real number one hero.

When the medal slips around Katsuki's neck, he has no choice but to let the tears fall.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

IT'S DONE. IT'S OVER. THE STORY I HAVE SPENT A GOOD PORTION OF THE PAST THREE MONTHS IS DONE. I'M CRYING.

Seriously, I've become super attached to this headcanon of Kacchako. This is the longest story I've ever written. I invested a lot of effort in this. Like I said in a previous author's note, this may just be a fanfic, but I've made sure that this is the best fanfic it can possibly be.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I had writing it. I will seriously miss updating this story. I will miss Kimiko, my first OC ever. I'm not too fond of OCs so I never write them. If you've noticed, Kimiko is the only non-canon character I ever named in this fic. The exchange program guy, the employers, the colleagues, even Kimiko's two brothers remained unnamed. This is because I have this stubborn rule that a name should only go to a character if it's relevant to the development of the plot. When I decided on Kimiko's name, I even made sure it would be something that made sense in the overall story I wanted to tell.

I also hope that the ending is to your satisfaction. When I first started writing, I only had up to the Heroes League of America arc thought out, then as I wrote and researched, the story took form and became what it is now. Originally, I was supposed to end this with Katsuki starting a hero agency with Ochaco, but I wasn't satisfied with that for many reasons. One, I didn't want Ochaco to be a shadow of her husband. I wanted her to be a strong, capable woman who has her own career separate from Katsuki's. Two, I'm not sure Katsuki's the type to go into business. Three, it is a confirmed canon fact that Deku eventually becomes the #1 hero, and since I wanted this story to be as canon-compliant as possible, that meant that I couldn't have Katsuki become #1 at the end.

I didn't want to end with him at #2 though. This story, after all, is about him taking the hard road to the top; it won't make sense if he doesn't reach the top.

The solution I thought of was to take him out of the hero rankings altogether. Because he's not being evaluated with the same system as the others, then technically, it can't be said that he's better or worse than anyone. It can't be said that he's #2 to anyone. And so the SAT became a thing.

Deku is the Symbol of Peace. He's the face of pro heroism, and he's the #1 hero that way. But Katsuki is Commander of the elite special operations unit that handles the highest-level missions, and in that way, he is also #1. Of course, given the nature of his position, it's something that would never have been acknowledged if not for Deku making his speech.

To be honest, there were plenty of times during the writing of this fic that I felt discouraged. Sometimes I couldn't help wondering if I was the only one who thought it was any good. But everyone who has left me a kudos or a comment (especially a comment) helped me power through my insecurities and keep on writing. That said, I would like to thank all of you. You have no idea how much your support means to me.

If you haven't left me a comment yet, I hope you can do so now that we're at the end. Tell me what you liked. Tell me how the story made you feel. It's the most precious reward I can ever get from writing.

I am planning to write more Kacchako fics, beginning immediately (that's how much I love the OTP), but this story will forever be special to me.

Until the next fic,

Tonibelle


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